


Our Epic Adventure

by CrownsAndMilkshakes



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: ALL THE GOOD STUFF, Betty has a bucket list, Camping, Cuddling, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hiking, Mild Sexual Content, Pining, Swimming, and Jughead wants to help, and one air mattress, bughead - Freeform, but first he has to figure out what is on it, oh no there is only one tent, road trip au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23896594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrownsAndMilkshakes/pseuds/CrownsAndMilkshakes
Summary: The plan was clear. Archie, Betty and Jughead would go on a road trip across America for two weeks. Everything was set and ready to go, except for Archie.When he ditches his two friends to go on a vacation with Veronica instead, Betty and Jughead decide to go together. Two weeks on the road together changes some things between them and as her carefully planned route takes a turn for the unexpected, Betty realizes that maybe she had been crushing on the wrong friend all along.A summer love story full of camping, swimming, dancing and, of course, road tripping.
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 200
Kudos: 263
Collections: 7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	1. Go camping

**Author's Note:**

> And our journey begins.
> 
> As most of us are stuck in our houses (and trying to get away from canon), I wanted to create a summer story which was full of fluff and love. So please join me in living vicariously through our two favourite characters as they set out on a journey that would change their lives.
> 
> This story is unbetad and english continues to be a confusing language, so I'm sorry for all the mistakes in advance.
> 
> It has been such a joy listening to summer songs and placing myself in the easy going world of the Archie Comics. Hopefully you guys will also take some joy out of it.

It wasn’t good news.

Betty was watching Jughead’s face intently as he was on the phone. Currently he was sitting with his head in his hand, frowning deeply.

“Bud, you promised.” He was talking to Archie and his tone was becoming more irritated with every word. “You can’t just do this. It’s shitty and irresponsible and…” Betty could hear Archie arguing on the other side and Jughead lifted his head out of his hand to look up at the ceiling in apparent agony. “Sure. Bye,” he said in a clipped tone before aggressively slamming down his phone.

“What is it?” Betty was almost afraid to ask.

“He isn’t coming,” Jughead said coldly.

“What do you mean he isn’t coming.” Archie, Jughead and Betty had been planning their graduation road trip for months now. They would be driving across America for two weeks, visiting various states and camping to save money. They were leaving tomorrow. At least, that was the plan.

“I mean that he isn’t coming.” Jughead looked at her with genuine anger. Betty couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Jughead so angry and never was that anger directed towards Archie. “Veronica asked him to go to Mexico with her, so he is ditching us.” He pulled his beanie off and threw it on the table next to his phone.

She echoed his frustration. Sure, Archie wasn’t known as the most reliable person ever, but this was downright selfish. “What a jerk,” she said.

Jughead looked up at her in surprise, she wasn’t quick to criticize Archie, and chuckled softly. “You could say that again.” His moment of amusement quickly vanished and he groaned. “All those months of planning for nothing. I think dick is a better description, Betty. That is all he thinks with anyway.”

Betty snorted at his comment and walked over to her bag. She produced a chocolate bar and placed it in front of Jughead. It was wise to always have food handy when you deal with the infamous glutton. Jughead inspected the chocolate for one whole second, before he tore the wrapper and ate it in one bite.

“What,” he said when he saw her expression. “Anger makes me hungry.”

“Everything makes you hungry.” She took a seat opposite him and placed her hands on the table. “You know, all those months don’t have to be a waste of time. We could still go.”

“You mean the two of us.”

Betty nodded. “Just the two of us.”  


Betty was sitting by her window, staring into Archie’s room. She wasn’t quite sure if she was trying to conjure or banish him. She just knew she didn’t want to talk to him. A guy who just abandons his best friends wasn’t worth talking too or thinking about. She couldn’t believe he would just do something so selfish. A little voice scolded her for being naive. Of course, Archie ditched them. It is what he had always done, leave her behind whenever he found something more desirable. And Betty would just wait for him to come back.

She sighed. She was just so angry, so sad, so disappointed and so incredibly tired. It’s time to let go. She had already given up on a romantic relationship with Archie a long time ago, but maybe it was time to let go of Archie as a whole.

Her gaze moved past his window and into Riverdale. Her hometown. She loved this town, always had and always would. But lately it had felt too small. Her dreams and ambitions were bigger than this place. She was ready to move on.

She was ready to let it go.

This roadtrip was the first step. Seeing part of the world beyond Riverdale. Making her own plans and following the path she set for herself. She took a deep breath and willed her sadness away. It was replaced by excitement. She was really doing this. She had convinced Jughead and tomorrow morning they would be driving away in her jeep.

She moved towards her bed where papers were scattered everywhere. Maps and receipts and folders about various camping sites. Caramel jumped on the bed and immediately started fighting with a map. Betty chuckled and soothingly rubbed the cat while pulling the paper from under her.

“I know you don’t like it that I am going away for two weeks, but mom and dad will take good care of you, I promise.” If cats could look skeptical, that was how she would describe Caramel right now. Betty kissed her head. “I am going to miss you, girl.”

Caramel seemed to accept this and rubbed her head lovelingly against Betty. She decided that it meant that Caramel was going to miss her too. After enough petting the cat jumped of her bed and in the process knocked over a picture of Betty and Archie which had been standing on her bedside table. Betty didn’t pick it back up.

Before going to bed she checked her packing list one last time to make sure she had everything she was going to need. Here eyes scanned the paper and she almost put it away with a satisfied feeling when she saw the last item.

“Shit,” she cussed. Archie was supposed to bring the second tent. Well, she wasn’t going to call him to ask if she could borrow his tent. She and Jughead would have to share their space. It wouldn’t be a problem.

The next morning she woke up early and made both breakfast and lunch. She was feeling good. Happy to be going away. She needed this, she needed a vacation.

Her parents stumbled into the kitchen looking like they just rolled out of bed. “Good morning, Sweetheart,” Alice greeted her. “We wanted to wish you a happy trip.”

Her dad placed a kiss on her forehead. “Have a lot of fun and be safe. And warn that boy that if he tries anything, I have an axe and I’m not...”

“Dad,” Betty cut him off. “It’s Jughead. You have nothing to worry about.”

Hal gave her a skeptical look. “It’s still a boy, honey. Just be careful.”

Betty nodded obediently and decided to not tell her dad that they were going to be sharing a tent.

The Cooper family ate breakfast while Betty told them about the places they would be visiting. She left a paper with all the addresses for her parents in case of emergency. After making sure she packed enough lunch to feed an army, which meant it might be enough to feed a Jughead, she climbed in her jeep and waved to her parents before driving away. In her rearview mirror she saw Archie walking out of his house, his eyes on her car. Betty drove a little faster.

She had barely walked three steps towards Jughead’s house when the front door opened and two small creatures started running towards her. Jellybean latched onto her leg while Hot Dog started licking her hand.

“I have never felt so loved,” Betty laughed while she crouched down. With one hand she scratched the sheepdog behind his ear while she hugged JB with her other arm.

“Can I come with?” the little girl asked.

“I’m afraid not, Bean. It won’t be fun for you.”

Jellybean stepped out of Betty’s embrace and pouted. “But I am so much more fun than Jug.”

Betty nodded in agreement. “We’ll go on a trip together when you’re a little older.”

Jellybean’s face immediately lit up and she flung her arms around Betty’s neck. “You promise, right?”

“I promise.” Betty lifted the girl and started walking towards the house where now the other three members of the Jones family were gathered. “The welcoming committee is adorable,” Betty said.

Gladys smiled. “They are specially trained.” She kissed Betty’s cheek. “Have you already had breakfast, sweetie?”

Betty nodded, but she already knew that wouldn’t be good enough for Gladys who was so used to feeding people. “Come inside anyway. I still have some pancakes left. We won’t keep you long.”

One hour later, Betty and Jughead were finally seated in her car, waving goodbye to his family. Jughead turned to her and smiled. “Let’s go, Betts. Let’s go far away.”

\---

“Did you make the playlist?” Betty asked when they hit the road.

“Of course.” Jughead immediately started scrolling on his phone and not long after the sound of the Imagine Dragons filled the car. “I will be honest it did hurt to put so many pop songs on the list.”

“Poor you,” Betty said mockingly. “As a thanks for allowing lowly pop songs on your road trip playlist, I have something for you. It’s in the glovebox.”

Jughead’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Are these…”

Betty smiled. “Yes, those are my world famous chocolate chip cookies.”

For Jughead’s 14th birthday, Betty had done the unimaginable. She had tweaked her already amazing cookies recipe and made it even more incredible. They had tasted like pure joy and Jughead may have cried the first time he ate one. Unfortunately, Betty said she would only bake them for very special occasions, which means she hadn’t made them since.

“I dream about these cookies. Those are the most beautiful dreams I have.”

Betty snorted. “You asked me to marry you after you ate them.”

“I stand by that proposal. I’m still hurt that you rejected me.”

“Propose with a ring next time and maybe you’ll get lucky.”

Jughead took a bite and the sound that came out of his mouth could be described as a moan. “Betts,” he said with his mouth full. “Let’s go find a jewelry store.”

Betty’s laughter filled the car and the sound of it made his heart skip a beat, but he chose to ignore that and instead ate another cookie.

Jughead stared out the window, watching the scenery change from familiar to new. They were leaving Riverdale behind. This seemed to make Betty happy. She was cheerfully singing along to the playlist and Jughead tolerated it because Betty wasn’t a bad singer. He was happy that Betty seemed excited and he was too. But he was also conflicted.

When Betty first proposed this trip a few months ago, Jughead hadn’t known how to react. He hadn’t known if he wanted to go on a road trip. The idea of being stuck in a car with Betty and Archie didn’t seem like a fun idea to him for several reasons. The first being that Jughead enjoyed his alone time, his nap time and relax time and it seemed that he wouldn’t get that time on the trip. He would always have to be around other people and even if those people were his friends, he didn’t know if he could do it. The second, and more important, reason was Betty and Archie’s complicated history. He had witnessed their relationship change over the past few years and while they were still friends, and the three of them were best friends, he didn’t think being cooped up together for two weeks would be good for them. Or him. The thought of having to watch Betty and Archie circle around each other had made him a little apprehensive.

But now that wasn’t a problem anymore and Jughead was still conflicted. He obviously felt angry and hurt, but he locked those emotions away for when he saw Archie in person again.

He quickly glanced to his left and saw Betty drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. He was alone with Betty and that was both exciting and scary. Truth be told, Jughead couldn’t remember the last time he and Betty spend a long period alone together. They seemed to always be surrounded by other people, so two weeks alone seemed like a long time.

He looked out the window again. It was a beautiful day, the sun was beating down on the car, so Jughead opened the window and let his hand dangle. They were officially in rural America. Miles of nothing but trees and grass awaited them and it was honestly refreshing. He should stop worrying, it wasn’t what he did. He was going on an adventure with one of his favourite people. It was going to be great. He focused on Betty’s singing and the beautiful landscape. Everything was going to be great.

“How long until we are there?” Betty asked.

Jughead checked his phone. “We have been going for four hours now, so we should be there in about two more.”

“Can you check the map to see if we are still going the right way. It’s in my bag.”

“You do know that google maps exist right?”

Betty gave him a disapproving look. “Where is your sense of adventure?”

“It died when technology got invented,” he replied while reaching for her bag anyway. The map immediately fell out when he unzipped it along with a notebook. He picked up the notebook and examined it. The cover read ‘My Epic Adventure’ in Betty’s neat handwriting. “What is this?”

Betty’s eyes widened comically. “Just my travel journal.” She tried to sound casual but her voice had taken on a unnatural high tone. “It’s nothing special. Just holds my packing lists and camping information, as well as a bucket list and blank pages to write down memories.”

Jughead studied the nervous quality that had come over her. There was something in the book that she didn’t want him to see. “Can I look at the bucket list?”

“No, it’s inappropriate,” Betty stammered.

Jughead narrowed his eyes. “Inappropriate? Elizabeth Cooper, what did you write down?”

Betty’s face flushed red as she realized her mistake. “I meant personal. A girl’s journal is personal, Jughead. Now put it back and focus on the map.”

He did what she asked and put it back. He would let it go for now. But he had every intention to find out what was on this secret bucket list.

“Is that it?” Jughead squinted, trying to read the board in the distance. “The hidden paradise?”

“Yes, that is the place.”

After six hours of driving they arrived at their first camping site. Jughead didn’t know a lot about most of their destinations. Betty had planned it all out. Now as they drove on the property it all seemed very family friendly, not quite camping in the wilderness. But he supposed getting eaten by bears while he was sleeping in a tent was overrated.

“Home sweet home,” he said once they parked in their spot. “For the next two days at least.”

“It will be once we set up the tent.” Betty was already dragging stuff out of the jeep. The girl couldn’t sit still for one second. “Help me, will you?”

Jughead rushed to her side and grabbed the bundle of material which he supposed was the tent. “Weren’t there supposed to be two tents?”

Betty turned to him with a smile that was too wide. “Well I have good news and bad news. The good news is we don’t have that much to set up.”

Jughead furrowed his brows. “And the bad news?”

40 minutes later they had set up their only tent, blown up their only air mattress, luckily it was a big one, and shoved their bags and sleeping gear into their new sleeping quarters. It was a bit small as it was only supposed to fit one person, but they would make it work. At least that was what Jughead told himself. 

He plopped down into a camping chair and checked his phone for the time only to find he had five missed calls from Archie. He showed Betty who frowned. “Maybe he is wondering where we are,” he said. It would be something for Archie to assume they would just stay in Riverdale after he cancelled on them or he forgot about the trip altogether. Both were plausible.

“Maybe,” Betty murmured. “Let’s not talk about Archie. Let’s make this an Archie free vacation. This is about us and going on an adventure.” She passed him a can of coke and then held up her own. “To our adventure,” she said.

Jughead mirrored her. “To us,” he said before taking a sip, his heart beating fast. “The only thing we need now are marshmallows and our first day would be complete.”

“Already ahead of you, Jug.” Betty produced a bag of marshmallows out of seemingly thin air and Jughead wondered, not for the first time, if this woman wasn’t secretly a witch. 

To celebrate their successful first day, they decided to skip actual dinner and just feast on roasted marshmallows and chips. They weren’t allowed to have open fires, but they were allowed to have grills which is kind of the same thing.

“We used to do this every last day of summer, remember,” Betty said quietly as she rotated her marshmallow. “We would all gather around a huge campfire and tell stories and roast marshmallows. Why did we stop doing that?”

“Probably because Reggie almost set himself on fire one year.”

“That’s right,” Betty chuckled. “You always used to stack ten marshmallows and try to eat them at once, completely ruining whatever clothes you were wearing.”

Jughead nodded. “My mom was always so angry.”

“You were cute back then. I miss tiny Juggie.” Betty turned to him with a pout. “When did you stop being cute?”

“I’m always cute.” Jughead puffed his cheeks for extra affect and Betty giggled. She reached out and pinched his cheek. “Hey, no touching,” he said while swatting at her hand. It was a rule that applied to most people, except Betty and she knew this.

“Cute, tiny Juggie became grumpy Juggie,” she muttered to herself softly while she stared into the fire.

He took this moment to observe her. Her hair was down for a change and it framed her face in soft waves. She was wearing one of her many overalls which Jughead thought suited her well, better than her sweaters, and on her forehead was still some dirt from when they were setting up the tent. But what struck him wasn’t her physical appearance, it was the fact that she looked truly at ease and relaxed. In Riverdale Betty had a lot going on and while she seemed to handle it well, she was always running around. But here, out in the semi-wilderness, a calm had come over Betty and it was a good look.

Feeling his eyes on her, Betty turned her head to look at him and smiled, her face illuminated by the fire. Jughead wanted to take a picture of her, but settled for smiling back. “I’m glad we’re doing this.”

“Me too,” Betty said. They just looked at each other until the moment was broken by a screaming kid from a few places over.

They burst out laughing. “A truly calming place you picked out, Betts.”

“This is cozy,” Betty said lightheartedly. It turned out that sitting in a car all day was exhausting, so after eating an unholy amount of marshmallows and bringing up old memories they decided to retire to bed.

And it sure was cozy. They were both lying on their sides, facing each other and there was only a few inches between them. Jughead was suddenly hyper aware of his body and where it was in relation to Betty’s. The fact that it was hot, so they were both wearing minimal sleeping clothes, in Betty’s case a tank top and the tiniest shorts he had ever seen, wasn’t helping.

“Juggie,” Betty started saying with a teasing smile. “Are you a cuddler?”

“What do you think?”

“I know that you are a big softie hiding behind a mask of sarcasm and cynicism and I’m guessing you’re a closet cuddler.”

“Well, you’re wrong.” He knew she was messing with him, but the fact that she was doing so while her feet bumped against his was a little much for him. “I have a strict rule against cuddling.”

“You’re no fun.” He could hear the pout in her voice. “I guess we won’t cuddle then.” Out of nowhere her expression got serious and she went quiet for a while. Jughead knew that Betty’s brain went a mile a minute, which also meant that sometimes her mood could change in a second. “I know I said I didn’t want to talk about him, but I honestly can’t believe Archie,” she finally said. “He just abandoned us without a care in the world. He probably doesn’t even realise he did something wrong. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s the story of my life.”

Even in the dark Jughead could see the tears that were threatening to overflow. He had seen Betty cry about Archie more times than he wished to count and everytime it filled him with anger, irritation and sadness. He was angry at his best friend for making Betty feel that way and for not being a better person. But he was also irritated at Betty for just sitting there and taking it. For going back to him every single time.

Maybe that wasn’t fair. Betty was full of love for everyone around her. She believed in love more than anyone else and she really wanted to be loved in return. When they were young Betty used to read fairy tales to him and she would swoon over the prince charmings and the happily ever afters. She craved love and affection even in places where she wouldn’t get it.

“Come here,” he said gently. He lifted his arm, and in process his cover, so Betty could scooch closer. She looked up at him in surprise and he hated himself for thinking how pretty her eyes looked in that moment. Without saying anything else she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest. He released the breath he had been holding and rested his chin on her head, hugging her close to him.

The sadness he felt whenever he saw Betty cry was for her, but also for himself. Because he had to watch the girl he loved cry over another guy and he couldn’t do anything about it.


	2. See a breathtaking view

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little camping fun this chapter. Most of this was written out of nostalgia. I always used to go camping in France or Spain. Only I didn't have a cute girl or boy with me. I had to make do with me family, who I all love very much.
> 
> Anyway. Thank you for all the lovely comments on the previous chapter. They made my week.
> 
> Enjoy!

Betty was sitting in a camping chair, paging through her book and enjoying the gentle morning sun when Jughead climbed out of their tent.

“Is that fresh bread I smell?” he said as a way of greeting.

Betty raised her eyebrows. “How could you possibly smell that from inside the tent?”

“One of my many talents.”

“Maybe they should use you for drug searches instead of dogs.”

“One of my many career choices,” Jughead yawned. He didn’t look fully awake yet. Betty had already been up for an hour, but she was an early riser and Jughead was the opposite of that. She had decided to let him sleep for a little longer. He was going to need it.

She nodded towards the table. “I bought a baguette by the bakery. One of the many perks of staying on a campsite.”

Jughead grunted his approval while he quickly made his way towards their shabby table. Betty joined him with a cup of coffee for him and a glass of milk for herself. The table was small, but it worked fine for two people and Betty and Jughead could easily navigate around each other. While Jughead was shoving bread into his mouth, Betty took a moment to look at him. His face was puffy from sleeping, his eyes not fully open yet and his hair was a spectacle to behold. He looked unguarded and young. She felt her chest warm with affection.

Her eyes travelled down to his arms and the warmth in her chest flew up to her face. Jughead had held her during the night. He had hugged her during her embarrassing crying fit over Archie, but afterwards he hadn’t let go. It was nice. She had felt protected and safe and had been so relaxed that after she was done crying, she immediately fell asleep. She slept so well, so comfortable. When she had woken up and saw that their limbs were tangled together, she didn’t freak out. Everything she did with Jughead felt natural, even sleeping in each other’s arms.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Jughead’s voice pulled her away from her thoughts and she felt herself blush. Had she just been staring at his arms this entire time? They were nice arms, just a slight definition of muscle and when they were wrapped around you… Betty shook her head. Focus on the Jughead’s words, not his arms. 

“Sorry,” she said. “Was a little distracted.” She quickly picked up her piece of bread and spread some butter on it. 

If he had seen her staring, he didn’t say anything about it. “So what are the plans for today?”

Betty smiled sweetly at him. “You are going to love it. I have picked out the most amazing hiking trail.”

Jughead stared back at her with a blank expression. “I’m sorry, I think I’m not fully awake yet. I could have sworn you said we are going hiking.”

Betty nodded and slid one of the maps she picked up by the reception towards him. “It’s a beautiful nature hike up the mountains. It will only take us a few hours.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be on vacation? Isn’t vacation supposed to be relaxing? Hiking is not my idea of relaxation.”

Betty rolled her eyes. “Come on, Jug. Think about the beautiful view.” The camping was situated at the foot of a mountain range and Betty was dying to get up there and take some pictures.

Jughead sighed dramatically. “Fine, but this better be a one time thing or I will steal your jeep and drive back to Riverdale.”

Three hours later, Jughead was panting and sweating and moaning, and Betty was absolutely done with him. She turned around when she heard something hit the ground and groaned when she saw that Jughead was sitting against a tree with his arms crossed. She knew Jughead didn’t enjoy exercise, but she didn’t think he was going to be such a baby about it.

She walked back towards him. “What are you doing?”

Jughead glared at her. “I’m taking a break. I’m tired.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Jughead snapped. “I’m sorry, I’m not enjoying an activity that you kept a secret until the last minute because you knew I would hate it. I don’t like it when exercise is forced upon me.” He looked like he would stomp his feet if he could in his current situation.

Betty pinched the bridge of her nose and willed her frustrations away. She was not going to let their stupid tempers get in the way of enjoying their time together. Traveling could make people cranky and she did spring this on him at the last moment. 

He honestly did look tired. His hair was plastered against his forehead in sweat and his face was an unnatural shade of red. She always considered Jughead quite athletic, despite his general laziness. When he saw Ethel he sprinted away at a speed even she couldn’t match. However she was used to long periods of exercise and Jughead clearly wasn’t.

She sighed before she crouched down in front of him. “I’m sorry, Jughead,” she said genuinely. He looked a little taken aback, he clearly expected more resistance. “I should have told you my plans. This is both our vacations, after all. I thought a hike would be refreshing, but I see now that I might have been wrong.”

Jughead averted his eyes and scrubbed his neck awkwardly. “I guess, I am acting a bit like a child. I am just genuinely tired and a little hungry, which makes me cranky.” He gave her a tiny smile. A peace offering.

Betty returned the smile and gave him one of her protein bars before standing up and extending her hand. “It’s only a little longer. I think it will be worth it once you see the view.”

Jughead looked from her face to her hand and back before taking it. She helped him of the ground and started walking, not letting go. He probably needed the extra support. His hand was sweaty but nice and Betty once again was surprised at how natural it all felt.

He walked next to her for the remainder of the walk, quietly munching on his protein bar and swinging their hands between them. Betty told him all about the different plants and animals that lived in these areas and he just watched her with soft eyes.

Before she knew it, Betty saw a board that pointed towards the lookout point. She picked up the pace, dragging Jughead with her. “This is it, Jug.” 

The receptionist yesterday had told her that this trail had some of the most beautiful views, but she still wasn’t prepared what she saw when they walked out of the forest. Below them was a huge lake with water so blue and clear, she could see fish swimming. It was surrounded by the greenest grass she had ever seen and giant trees. That combined with a clear sky and sun rays reflected in the water created a beautiful painting. All the colours were a feast for the eye. It was the kind of view you could stare at for hours. Simple, but beautiful. Betty had never seen anything like it. 

She couldn’t believe she was only six hours away from Riverdale, where everything felt small and cramped. This place was so big, so grand. It looked like it hadn’t been touched by humans at all. Which of course it had, the evidence was right behind them where picnic tables were installed.

Betty took a deep breath and let the clear air fill her lungs. She felt light and happy. Something about being out in nature made her feel alive.

Beside her she heard Jughead’s breath hitch and she felt pretty smug about it. But she was above saying I told you so. Instead she just gave him a knowing grin while he rolled his eyes in return.

They sat down by one of the picnic tables. Immediately Jughead started searching in his bag. She was sure he was looking for something to eat, but was surprised to see him take out his drawing supplies.

“You brought your sketchbook?” She obviously knew Jughead liked to draw. He drew comics for the Blue and Gold and whenever they had class together he would doodle funny things on her notes, trying to distract her and make her laugh. She loved his drawings.

“Yeah, I’ve been trying a more realistic style lately and thought that this trip could serve for some inspiration.” He looked a little embarrassed.

“That’s great. Can I look?” Betty was already extending her hand when Jughead shut his sketchbook.

“No,” he blurted. “I’m trying things out, but it’s not very good.” He was definitely embarrassed, judging by his slight blush. This was new. He had never had a problem sharing his drawings before. In fact, he would often run them by her before he submitted them to the school paper. “It’s personal, just like your journal.”

“Okay, I won’t look. But just so you know, I would love to see them. Whenever you feel comfortable.” She would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little curious, but she was not going to betray his trust by trying to sneak a peek. 

Jughead nodded and carefully flipped the book open again. Betty averted her eyes and went back to the beautiful view.

The next thirty minutes passed in comfortable silence. Betty tried to take some pictures of the lake, but none of them seemed to capture its beauty. She turned around to see Jughead leaned over his sketchbook, his pencil racing over the page. He was concentrated and serious. Betty loved seeing his passionate side. He was known as a lazy glutton and that was not an entirely wrong image, but once he found something he liked, he went for it wholeheartedly. Betty raised her camera once again and captured this Jughead.

After that she just stared ahead. For the first time in her entire life, her thoughts slowed down. Her mind was calm. She focused on the subtle wind playing with her hair, on the sun warming her skin and that was enough. For once she wasn’t planning or thinking ahead. She didn’t have an entire to do list of duties waiting for her. She could just live in the moment.

She didn’t know how long they had been out there when she heard Jughead shut his sketchbook. She looked over at him and smiled before handing him another protein bar.  
“All done?”

He shrugged. “I couldn’t quite capture the grandness of it all, but I think it turned out decent.”

“You wanna continue going up?”

Jughead’s eyes widened before he looked towards the top of the mountain, which was many, many miles above them and covered in snow. “I hope you’re kidding, because I was already forming a plan where I fold myself into a ball and go rolling down the hill.”

“Well, I have good news. But you might also be a little irritated when you hear it,” Betty said quietly.

He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

Betty pointed to her right. “If we walk half a mile that way, there is a ski lift that will take us down.”

\---

Jughead was sitting with his arms crossed and staring straight ahead. Betty probably thought he was mad at her, but all thoughts of anger went out the window when they got in the lift. Betty was pressed up against his side in the small two seat and he couldn’t focus on anger even if he wanted to. Small, confined spaces were already becoming a theme in this trip. 

He heard Betty sigh and then felt the weight of her head on his shoulder. “I already said I was sorry.”

“I’m not mad.” He had acted a little childish, because the walking had been exhausting. But the lookout point had been gorgeous and even the view from the ski lift was incredible. There were other reasons for all the tension in his body. “I’m really not.”

He rested his cheek on her head and tried to calm down. Easier said than done.

“Remember those comics you used to draw about us?” she asked softly.

For Betty’s 12th birthday, Jughead had drawn her as a female Sherlock Holmes, solving mysteries with him as her sidekick. He would always remember the glee in her eyes as she read it for the first time. He continued gifting her a new issue every month. It would feature them and their friends involved in various adventures and hijinks.

“I always looked forward to the Juggie Comics,” she continued. “They had the ability to make me smile when nothing else could. It was fun to see ourselves in all different kinds of situations. They were so good.”

“Even the ones where we were superheroes or the one where I could time travel.”

“Ah, Jughead’s time police. How could I forget?” He could hear the smile in her voice. “They could get a little weird sometimes, but they were so creative and so good,” she repeated while squeezing his arm. ‘You are so talented, Jughead.”

Suddenly he found it a little hard to swallow. He never thought other people’s approval was important to him until Betty gave hers. “Thanks, Betts,” he said roughly.

“Don’t you want to do something with it?”

He did. He had toyed with the idea of applying to art school, but settled for majoring in science instead. It was the logical choice, the mature one. That’s what he told himself whenever he began to doubt it. He loved drawing. It was his way of expressing his emotions, something he wasn’t very good at. It was his outlet and he dreamed about drawing his own cartoons and getting paid for it. But it wasn’t realistic.

“It’s just a hobby,” he said. 

“How about pancakes?” They were in the store that was on the campsite and Jughead was holding up a pack of eggs. “Like the french ones?”

“You mean crêpes.” Betty took the eggs from him and put it in their basket. “Sure, that is a completely healthy dinner.”

“We are on vacation, Betty. Nothing we eat will be healthy. I’ll make sure of it,” Jughead said seriously.

“Well, I don’t actually know how to make crepes.”

“I know.” He grabbed some syrup and put it in their basket. “I’ll make dinner tonight.”

Betty gasped mockingly. “Jughead Jones cooking? Maybe hiking did do something to your brain.”

He bumped his shoulder against hers. “You’re hilarious.”

She giggled. “I would love it if you cooked for me, Jug,” she said before examining their groceries. “Okay, I think we have everything. Do you still need something?”

Jughead stood still for a moment, thinking. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He raced through different isles, grabbing chips, drinks and other important snacks. “Okay, I think I’m good,” he panted once he reached Betty again.

Their groceries ended up costing 52 dollars.

Betty was chilling in her chair, reading the activities guide she picked up at the reception, while Jughead was sweating over the batter. It was rare that he would offer to cook. After all, food tastes best when you didn’t have to do anything. But it honestly thrilled him that he knew how to make something that Betty didn’t. Besides pancakes were really easy and he used to cook them with Jellybean all the time.

“There is a puppet show tonight,” Betty said.

“What now?”

She held up her guide. “They’re hosting a puppet show. They do it every year and it’s apparently really popular. Could be fun.”

“Or terrifying,” he replied.

Betty shrugged. “It’s not like we have anything else to do tonight.” She looked at him and her eyes lit up with amusement, probably because he was wearing a pink apron and he had batter everywhere. Just because he knew how to cook something, didn’t mean he knew how to do it neatly. “How’s it going along?”

“Great. I’m heating up the pan right now and then the pancake flipping can begin.”

An excited energy came over Betty. Jughead would describe it as childlike. “I want to flip pancakes.”

“It is a delicate art, Betts. Not one that can be easily mastered.”

“I’m sure I can do it.”

The first pancake landed on the grass next to them. The second one landed on their little gas stove, which almost caused a fire. And the third one almost was worn as a hat by a kid who was passing by their place. Betty looked genuinely shocked at how bad she was while Jughead bit his lower lip to keep him from laughing.

He walked slowly towards her. “Let’s put the pan down,” he said gently while taking the object from her hands. “Leave the cooking to me. You can just relax and read more about the creepy puppet show.”

Betty frowned, but did as she was told. Jughead didn’t miss the jealous look when he flawlessly flipped a pancake and he smiled smugly in her direction.

He whipped up a big stack of pancakes which they decorated with sugar and syrup and chocolate spread. A healthy, well balanced meal according to Jughead. They scarved it down before heading towards the infamous puppet show.

A podium was set up by the entrance to the camping ground as well as a lot of chairs. At least 300 if Jughead were to guess. And all 300 of them were occupied. Children, teenagers and adults were all present to witness whatever they were about to witness.

“You weren’t kidding when you said it was popular,” Jughead said. They had found, what appeared to be, the two last chairs. Behind them rows of people were forming who wanted to see the show so much they were going to stand. Jughead couldn’t relate.

Betty opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment loud music started and a spotlight focused on the stage. The show was about to begin. When Jughead imagined a puppet show, he thought of hand puppets or maybe pinocchio. He did not think of human size puppets with not quite human faces being paraded down the stage by actual humans who were dressed in black so that they would not be visible.

For two hours they sat through a deeply confusing and somewhat horrifying experience. Jughead was about to suggest they leave early when a loud noise on stage made Betty flinch and in the process she grabbed his hand. Soft fingers tightly squeezed around his and she wasn’t letting go. This was the second time today, they were holding hands and Jughead didn’t think he would ever get used to it. That little innocent touch made his heart go in overdrive. He looked at Betty and saw that she was still completely focused on the tragedy that was happening on stage. Feeling bold, he twisted his palm and laced their fingers together. He waited for Betty to pull back, but instead she squeezed his hand and Jughead felt that echoed in his entire body. The rest of the show completely went over his head, but Jughead didn’t care.

He would sit through ten more of these performances as long Betty was holding his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That puppet show is based on reality. There is one camping we always used to go to and they would host all sorts of party's and performances at night. Including the cursed puppet show. I have seen it multiple times and it still haunts my dreams, so obviously I had to write about it.
> 
> Next chapter they are going back on the road and they are going to do something that Jughead actually likes.
> 
> Please let me know what you think.


	3. Eat until you're nauseous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the lovely comments this story has been getting. I especially enjoyed everyone's thoughts and opinions on pancakes. It's one of those dishes that is so universal yet so different in every country. I will make a confession: I have never had american pancakes. That is one food that will be on my bucketlist.
> 
> I don't know anything about the geography of the US, so all the town names will be from the Archie Comics.
> 
> Enjoy!

Jughead had always liked Betty. He liked her from the day they met when they were five years old. Which wasn’t something he could say about most other people. It took him a while to warm up to Archie, who he met at the same time. He still didn’t like Reggie. But Betty was different. Something about her drew Jughead closer and when she had smiled at him for the first time he had been hooked.

But it wasn’t that he was in love with her from that same day. Jughead didn’t believe in love at first sight. Obviously at the age of five he didn’t even think about romantic love. He just knew that he liked this girl and wanted to spend time with her and that was enough.

Once they reached their teenage years, things started to change. Boys and girls started looking at each other as more than just friends. They started looking around for people who they wanted to kiss and date. Betty started looking at Archie as if he had hung the moon and Archie started looking at every girl like they were candy. Jughead just rolled his eyes when this all started. He did not understand the appeal of romance. 

He definitely didn’t care whenever he saw Betty and Archie sitting together. His stomach did not drop when they walked by holding hands. He did not feel sick whenever they kissed. Jughead had no time or energy for romance or girls.

That’s what he told himself.

“Bless this place for having clean showers.”

Jughead looked up from the book he was reading and his eyes immediately widened. Betty was a vision with her face freshly scrubbed and her hair a wet, wavy mess. Little drops of water fell down on her collarbones and disappeared down the front of her tank top. Jughead’s eyes were locked on this movement. It was clear Betty wasn’t wearing a bra and after staring for three whole seconds, he tore his eyes away. His face felt hot and his stomach was turning. 

Jughead normally didn’t think about people’s appearances. It just wasn’t something he noticed. Archie would often ask him if he thought a girl was hot and he would just shrug. He didn’t think like that. But sometimes Betty would knock him over the head with her looks. Sometimes he would lose his breath when she walked towards him in overalls and a messy bun. It didn’t make sense, but nothing about Betty ever did.

He cleared his throat and closed his book, hoping Betty didn’t notice him staring like a caveman. “Tomorrow will be an early day, right?”

“Yes, we have to be out of here by ten. The drive will be about five hours,” Betty said while scrubbing a towel over her head, making her hair even more of a disaster.

Jughead looked on amused as she tried to tame it with a hair brush. “So we should probably go to bed early,” he said.

That hairbrush stilled, but Betty didn’t look at him. Instead she smiled at her feet. “Yeah, we should,” her voice soft. They hadn’t talked about last night, about the fact that she had slept in his arms. But he knew she was thinking about it right now.

“Okay, well I’ll just go clean up and then we can go to bed.” He screwed his eyes shut at his slip up. “I mean, you can just go.. I’ll… I’m gonna go,” he stammered before taking off, shaking his head at his own awkwardness.

After taking an extra long shower and brushing his teeth twice, he entered their tent. Betty was already lying down with her back turned to him. She didn’t acknowledge him, so she was probably already asleep. Jughead was both relieved and disappointed. He had slept amazing last night with Betty pressed against him. But he had done that to comfort her and it would never happen again. He felt a pang in his heart, but he ignored it.

He carefully laid down behind her, trying not to wake her. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come. This was not a problem he normally encountered. Jughead could nap anywhere, anytime. But right now his body was completely tensed and the reason was lying only inches away. 

“Juggie,” Betty’s voice suddenly whispered. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah,” he replied.

She didn’t say anything back for a long time. Jughead wondered if he imagined it. “I’m cold,” she eventually said with a shaky voice.

It was a lie. They were in the middle of a heatwave which meant that even at night, it was pretty hot. But Jughead knew what she was asking and he would never refuse her anything. He inched forward slowly, giving her time to back out, until his chest hit her back. He wrapped his arm around her waist and hugged her close to him. After a few excruciating moments, he felt her melt into him and he sighed with relief. Her hand covered his while he buried his face in her hair.

He wondered at how well they fit together. At their easy intimacy. An intimacy he never thought would be a possibility for him. But it was with Betty. And he wondered why the hell they haven’t been doing this for years.

“I spy with my little eye something green.”

They were back on the road and after driving for an hour, Betty suggested they should play some games to keep the driving fun. Jughead looked out his window at the large expanse of green grass and nothing else.

“The only thing I see is green.”

Betty sighed. “I know. Let’s play another game.”

“Is it a woman?”

“Yes. Eighteen.”

“Is she dead?”

“Taking her age in consideration, it’s only a matter of time.”

“Jug, you can only answer with yes or no,” she said annoyed. “Also it’s Miss Grundy.”

“You got it right in only three questions. That must be a record.”

“Did you hear that Dilton invented a female robot to date him?”

Betty quickly glanced over with concern in her eyes. “That didn’t happen.”

Jughead grimaced. “I honestly wish I was making this up. That’s two points for me.”

“Potato.”

“Are potatoes vegetables?”

“Of course. What else would they be?”

“I don’t know. Just potatoes.”

“They’re vegetables. You are next.”

“Radish.”

“Spinach.”

“Tomato.”

“Juggie, tomato is not a vegetable. Why does it not surprise me that you don’t know a lot about vegetables?”

“Funny. Let’s do junkfood next.”

“This is it,” Betty said as they passed a sign that read Centreville.

“This doesn’t look like a camping destination, Betts.”

She shook her head. “We will be staying in a hotel for one night.” She parked the car and turned to him with a smile. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Jughead asked with a wary tone.

Betty rolled her eyes. “A good surprise. Come on.”

\---

“Just a few more steps,” Betty said. She was covering Jughead’s eyes, which was quite the task considering their height difference, and leading him forward.

“I hear music,” he said before sniffing around like a dog. “And it smells amazing. Are we at a carnival?”

“Shush. You will see soon enough if you just keep walking,” Betty said a little annoyed. 

Leave it to Jughead to ruin his own surprise. They were at the international food fair. Around them were hundreds of stands sporting known and unknown foods. All for them to try out. But right now she was leading him towards a very specific stand, one that she knew he would enjoy the most. If only he would just walk with her. Betty quickly janked him out of the way of two kids who were running around. It was incredibly crowded, so the whole blind walking bit wasn’t easy. But the surprise on Jughead’s face would be worth it.

“Okay, Are you ready?” she asked.

Jughead shrugged. “I guess,” he said without much enthusiasm, but Betty wouldn’t be discouraged.

“Three, two, one. Tada!” She removed her hands. 

Jughead quickly blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings. Slowly recognition dawned on his face. “Is this a food fair?” he asked.

“Not just any food fair. It’s the biggest in the world and this cart right here,” she pointed towards the stand in front of them, “boasts the best hamburgers in the United States of America. They have been the unbeaten hamburger champions for 25 years now.”

She was barely done speaking when Jughead’s arms wrapped around her and she found herself crushed to his chest. “This is incredible, Betts,” he said. “I’m sorry, I ever doubted your surprise. You are amazing.”

Betty laughed and wiggled free. “I’m glad you like it. Now, let’s get in line and get our damn burgers.”

They waited 30 minutes in line, which some would say is too long for any kind of food. Or that is what Betty would say until she bit into the famous burger.

“Oh my god,” she said with her mouth full. “This is incredible.”

Jughead seemed too overwhelmed to talk. He just stared at the burger like he was about to profess his undying love for it, so she decided to give the two a moment alone. She focused on their surroundings. They were sitting by one of the many picnic tables in the middle of the fair. All the different stands were decorated with bright colours and there was a band playing not too far away from them. The whole atmosphere shouted fun and party. Besides food, there were also some carnival esque games that you would expect at this kind of place, but the emphasis was definitely on the edibles.

When Betty researched their route and interesting destinations, this town was one of the first results. It’s a small town, not much bigger than Riverdale, so Betty didn’t understand at first why it was so tourist heavy. But when she saw the information and praise for this particular fair, she knew they had to stop here. Not just for Jughead’s sake, but for her own. She loved food, maybe not as much as the boy opposite her, but she had quite an appetite. Unfortunately she was also an athlete and she had to strictly monitor her diet during the school year. She was going to be running track in college as well and on an even higher level, so this summer she wanted to let go for once. She wanted to eat all the delicious and greasy food that she craved but wouldn’t fit into her diet next year.

Her eyes scanned the many stands. She saw different types of waffles and cotton candy in the weirdest flavours. She saw a stand for turkey legs and one for hot dogs. Ice cream, pizza, BBQ. It was all there. And that was only the US section. There was a whole world for them to explore.

“That was amazing,” she heard Jughead say and she looked to see his plate completely clean. “Don’t get me wrong, Pop’s makes great burgers. But that was on a whole new level. It was something of an out-of-body experience.”

“Maybe we should try to steal the recipe and gift it to Pop Tate to thank him for feeding us all these years,” she suggested.

Jughead smiled. “A hamburger heist does sound appealing to me.” He stroked his chin as if he was already thinking through the necessary steps.

“Let’s discuss it over some ice cream,” Betty said while she grabbed his hand. 

There were three huge chalkboards which boasted the many different ice cream flavours. There were the normal ones like vanilla and chocolate and pistachio. But that was child’s play when you saw the other names. The second board was devoted to international flavours like licorice and black sesame and something called stroopwafel as well as blood sausage. Jughead bet her ten dollars to try that one, but Betty wasn’t interested. No, her eyes immediately went to the third board. The names on that one were mysterious and didn’t tell you anything about the flavours. It just said things like joy, sunlight, the beach. Betty’s curiosity was piqued when her eyes fell on the word adventure.

So Betty got a cone with adventure and happiness while Jughead had decided on one called afternoon nap. She gave the ice cream a tentative lick and flavours burst on her tongue. She couldn’t describe them if she tried, but it was an amazing combination. She had always loved ice cream, but this was an entirely new experience. She sighed softly while licking her ice cream. This is what heaven felt like. Actually, there was also a flavour called heaven, she might need to try that one.

“That good? The sounds you are making are not entirely PG.” Jughead was looking at her with an amused expression, but behind that was something else. Something like fascination.

Something about the way he was looking at her made her curious. That was how she explained her next actions. She looked up at him through heavy lashes and slowly licked her ice cream. Jughead’s eyes instantly darkened and that thrilled Betty. This was a new development. One where she was flirting with Jughead?

She shook her head. The ice cream’s magic was messing with her. “It’s really good,” she finally answered his question. “We might need to steal this recipe too. Do you want to try?” His gaze immediately went to her mouth and Betty felt frozen in her spot.

“Sure,” he said with a low voice. He bent down and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her, but then he bit into her ice cream. “That is indeed good, but I don’t think I will be making bedroom noises over it,” he said with a smirk.

This time Betty’s face flushed hot and she shoved him with her shoulder. “Shut up, I saw you crying over that burger.” 

They spent hours walking around the fair, trying various foods with names they had never heard before. Some were amazing. Others needed to be quickly washed down with water. And some were just plain weird.

At one point Jughead pointed to a game of skeeball. “Wanna play? The loser will have to eat that blood sausage ice cream.”

Betty cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, but it’s your funeral,” she replied. She picked up the ball and easily threw it into the one hundred and gave him a smug look.

Jughead did not like the ice cream.

Eventually the day turned into evening and the sun was slowly sinking below the horizon. Jughead and Betty were enjoying the festive lights that illuminated the fair from a pair of swings. Or Betty would be enjoying it, if she didn’t feel like throwing up. She leaned her face against the metal of the swing, it was cool on her face which was a nice contrast to the heat that was still in the air.

“Isn’t food great?,” Jughead sighed. 

“It’s certainly nauseating. Aren’t you at all sick from everything we’ve eaten?”

Jughead shrugged. “I might be a little full, but it takes a lot for me to get sick.” He smiled at her brightly. “I had a lot of fun today, Betts. Thanks for bringing me here.”

Betty felt pride swell in her chest. She liked making others happy. Luckily Jughead was easy to please. He was kicking his feet, moving the swing back and forth. In that moment she felt like a kid. Playing outside until evening. Nothing to worry about. No stress about college or moving. Just her and her best friend having fun.

She knew this feeling wouldn’t last. In less than two weeks, she would be back in Riverdale. In about four weeks she and Jughead would be going to college. Different colleges. The distance could make them grow apart. They would get different friends and entirely different lives. This might be the last time they would actually spend time together. She shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that. The only thing she could do right now was enjoy the moment.

Later that night, Betty was sitting on the bed in their hotel room, writing in her journal. The town was so small that it only has one hotel which was almost completely booked, because of the fair. There was one room left with one queen sized bed. It didn’t matter. At this point they were used to sharing a much smaller space. In fact, Betty was a little relieved. Jughead gave her a lot of peace and she had slept better these past two days than she had in years.

Jughead was in the bathroom, which gave Betty the time to write in her journal. She treasured these quiet moments where she could gather her thoughts. Ten pages were already filled with her scribbles, detailing every single event. She felt herself smile. This was going to be a book full of happy memories. 

She flipped back to her bucket list and crossed off another item. It was a stupid list, one she had created on a whim. She had been so underwhelmed with her life and was craving adventure that she had written down everything she could think off that she wanted to do. Jughead had been eager to see what was on it and help her accomplish it, but she doubted that he would still say that when he actually saw the list. There were a few things he wouldn’t do for her. It didn’t really matter anyway. She was enjoying herself immensely and that had everything to do with her company. She couldn’t believe that until a few days ago the plan was for three people to take this trip, instead of just two.

When Jughead stepped out of the bathroom in his pajamas and a small stubble gracing his jaw, something in Betty’s stomach stumbled. She didn’t know what that feeling meant. She just knew she was very glad Archie hadn’t come with them.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something? Might be our only chance for awhile.” He gestured to the TV in the room. Normally she would love to satisfy their mutual cinephile nature, but now she would much rather sleep.

She shook her head. “I’m exhausted. Let’s just go to bed.”

There was a question in his eyes, along with hesitation. The corner of Betty’s mouth quirked as she watched him wrestle with himself. He was pretty cute when he was uncertain. Maybe even a little awkward. She opened the cover, a clear invitation, before settling on her side. The bed was heavenly. Sleeping in Jughead’s arms on a lumpy air mattress had already been great, she could only imagine what it would be like on an actually comfortable mattress.

After a few seconds Jughead climbed in behind her and threw his arm around her waist, hugging her to his chest. It felt like something they had done a hundred times before instead of just two. Betty didn’t mind. She loved how natural it felt. How easy it was to be around Jughead. She didn’t have to obsess over her every move or wonder about his intentions. They could just exist together.

He pressed a kiss behind her ear and she shivered. A pleasant warmth spread through her body, starting at that tingly spot. She leaned into the warmth and let it envelop her. All thoughts melted away and she just enjoyed the feelings that Jughead was invoking until slumber took over.

The next morning Betty woke up slowly, the way you do when you’ve had an amazing sleep. She felt Jughead’s arms around her and she revelled in it. She wanted to stay right there for the rest of the day. Maybe she could convince Jughead to just hold her for the remainder of the trip. She wiggled even closer to him and was ready to fall asleep again when she felt it, felt him, against her back.

Oh.

Her eyes flew open. The relaxed state she had been in only seconds ago was gone and she was very aware of her body and his body. Jughead was a boy and it’s morning. It’s something that a boy’s body does. It doesn’t mean anything. Jughead was still asleep for heaven’s sake. Betty willed herself to calm down before something very obvious dawned on her.

Jughead was a boy. A boy who had been sharing her bed for the past few nights. A boy who had his arms wrapped tightly around her. One of those arms was pressed against her chest and for a hot second that was all Betty could focus on.

She thought back to the way he had been looking at her when she was licking her ice cone. How his eyes had been locked on her mouth and how for a second she was sure he was going to kiss her. Had she been missing something these past years or was it all in her head? 

She carefully turned around, avoiding his morning affliction and watched Jughead sleep for a moment. As if on cue, the first rays of sunlight fell through the window and onto Jughead’s face, painting him in a golden glow. Betty’s breathing hitched. She lifted her hand and let her fingers trail over his cheek with feather like touch. He was really good looking. She also realised she was wrong. Jughead was not a boy anymore. Her childhood friend who she had shared baths with had become a man. And she had become a woman.

Betty wanted to laugh, but the sound got stuck in her throat. Her entire childhood she had been chasing after some impossible, uninterested love. All she wanted was someone who she felt comfortable around. Someone who could make her laugh. Someone who respected her. Someone she could love.

Why had no one told her to open her damn eyes and see what was right in front of her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really love writing about fairs or carnivals or festivals or whatever you want to call them. To me, they just embody joy. 
> 
> Also cuddly Bughead. Another thing I love to write. Next chapter we will have more of those cuddles. As well as a little drinking and a little dancing.
> 
> Please leave a comment with your thoughts. They make me happy.


	4. Get drunk and dance like no one is watching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a week late, because depression has really been kicking my ass and destroying any creativity I have in me. Thankfully, the bughead drabble challenge inspired me enough to finish this chapter. So after two weeks it's finally here.
> 
> I will try to keep this story on schedule, as I have about 27 WIPs/fic ideas I want to write this hiatus. I'm looking forward to a summer filled with writing Bughead fluff.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Betty was sitting cross legged on the hood of her car. The sun was shining bright for only ten in the morning and the heat was already suffocating. Tendrils of hair that escaped her bun were sticking to her neck. She had chosen a yellow summer dress this morning, but it was still too hot. She couldn’t think or focus as she stared at the map in front of her. She had to figure out the route for today.

Next to her Jughead was lying back against the windshield and munching away on a croissant. They had stopped by a bakery to get their breakfast and were basically having a picnic in the parking lot. He didn’t seem bothered by the heat at all. Betty glared at him for a second, feeling envious at how unbothered he seemed. 

She turned back to the map and tried to focus when something cold hit her neck. She shrieked loudly and turned to see Jughead holding a bottle of water against her. She took the bottle and drank half of the contents within five seconds. She hadn’t realised how thirsty she was.

Jughead smiled and reached into the bag of baked goods and pulled something out. “Un pain au chocolat, mademoiselle.”

Betty was touched at how he was making sure she was fed. It was a role reversal, for sure. “Merci beaucoup.”

“We are really bad at french,” Jughead chuckled.

“Awful. Veronica would be so disappointed in us. She tried so hard to teach us”

“French is an indicator of class,” Jughead said with a high voice, trying to imitate Veronica.

Betty laughed at his awful impersonation and he settled back in his relaxed position. “Maybe we should drive up to Canada and get some practice in.”

“Unfortunately we have been driving south for the past few days.” She pointed to the map in front of her.

“That is why it has been getting so damn hot.”

“You chose our final destination remember.” 

Jughead shrugged as if that detail was unimportant. “So how much farther south are we going today?”

Betty sighed. “I don’t know. I think I miscalculated the miles. If we want to make it to our original planned campsite, it will take us nine hours of driving.”

Jughead grimaced. “That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.”

“Well, it is a road trip. The idea is that we would be driving. And nine hours isn’t too bad. If we leave now, we will be there in the evening.” She gave him a weak smile. She wasn’t in the mood to spent the entire day in the car.

Jughead didn’t look convinced, but just shrugged. “It’s your trip, Betts. I’ll do whatever.”

That didn’t sit well with Betty. It wasn’t her trip, it was theirs. Sure, she had planned almost all of it, but Jughead had an equal say in what they would do. Like she said earlier, he had chosen their final location. She was about to say something along those lines when Jughead hopped off the car.

“We should probably get going then,” he said.

Betty nodded. She grabbed her map and the bag from the bakery before walking to the driver’s side. She was about to climb in the car when she noticed the rear tire of her jeep, the very flat rear tire.

“Shit,” she cursed. Betty had been in such a great mood when she woke up. She had dressed herself in her favourite summer dress and styled her hair, even wearing a little make up. She had felt carefree and happy. That was only one hour ago and now she was stressed and irritated. She knew these days happened when traveling. Things weren’t always going to go smoothly, but that didn’t make them suck less.

Jughead had joined her. “What is it?”

“Flat tire.”

“You have a spare one, right?”

Betty scoffed. “Of course, I have a spare tire. Who do you think I am?”

“The best mechanic in Riverdale,” Jughead grinned at her. Betty felt the corners of her mouth twitch in response. How did he do that? How did he make her smile with one simple comment, even when she was irritated.

“Do you want me to lift it up?” Jughead asked.

Normally she would take offense to the question. Betty could easily do it herself, but Jughead knew that. He was asking to be kind and maybe even he wanted to feel some male pride. So Betty gave him the jack and wheel wedges and stood back as she watched Jughead at work. He was a little clumsy, but made it work.

A car stopped next to her and the window rolled down to reveal a guy in his early twenties. A had short black hair and an arrogant expression on his face. He reminded her of Reggie   
“Are you okay, Miss?” he asked before looking toward Jughead and the tire. “I can help if your boyfriend can’t handle it,” he commented.

Betty’s mouth actually fell open. There was so much offense to take to that comment, she didn’t know where to start.

“Don’t worry she can handle it,” Jughead called over his shoulder.

The guy raised an eyebrow as he took her in. Betty could only imagine what he was thinking. She was a girl of average height and quite skinny who was currently wearing a cute summer dress. She imagined he found it hard to believe she knew her way around cars.

But he wasn’t put off. He smirked at her in what he probably thought was a charming way. “So you’re a car babe. I’m pretty knowledgeable myself, so if you want some advice.”

Betty stared at him with a blank expression. It was amazing how condescending he sounded. “I know how to change a tire,” she said coldly.

“Still, a lovely girl like you shouldn’t be sweating over a tire. Let me do…”

“She said she was good.” Jughead had stood up and was glaring at the guy.

He quickly glanced at Jughead before giving Betty one final once over. “Fine,” he shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He quickly speeded away, probably searching for another conquest.

Jughead stared after the car with an irritated expression and murmured something about an idiot under his breath. Betty bit her lip to stop her from smiling.

“Thanks, Jug,” she said.

He frowned at her. “What for?”

“For being you.” She kissed his cheek and a beautiful blush covered his face. She quickly turned around to get the spare tire and to cover her stupid grin.

She worked fast and before they knew it, they were back on the road. Betty loved driving, she loved everything about cars, and as they were speeding along the highway with the sun shining down on them, she felt at peace. Jughead had offered to take over several times now, but she always turned him down. She liked having the control. The world was her oyster and she could go anywhere. She was free.

They passed more towns than they could count. The landscape was ever changing. It really showed how big this country was and how little Betty had experienced before this.

After reading for an hour, Jughead finally finished his comic book and closed it. Betty quickly glanced at the cover and smiled when she saw the iconic drawing of Pureheart the Powerful, their favourite childhood superhero. There were some things you never outgrow.

“Shall we play another game?” Jughead suggested.

“I knew you would warm up to them. You can choose,” she said.

“What about 20 questions?”

Betty raised an eyebrow. “Seriously. What could we possibly ask each other. We have been in each other’s lives since we were five.”

Jughead shifted so he was leaning against the car door and could face her more easily. “You think you know everything about me, Cooper?”

“I do. It’s a side effect of growing up together.”

Jughead was quiet for a while, deep in thought. He was drumming his fingers against his lower lip, which caused Betty to lose her attention on the road for a second. The boy had nice lips. She wondered what they would feel like pressed against hers.

“How about this?” he asked. “We each get five questions. We can use those questions to ask something serious and private, not just what the other person’s favourite colour is, and the other person has to answer truthfully. If you don’t answer, there will be a punishment.”

Betty thought about it. She liked to think she knows Jughead well, but there are still some mysteries about him. For example, if she suggested they press their mouths together, how much would he freak out? He doesn’t like romance, but to what extent? 

“Fine,” she said. “But we don’t have to rush through these questions. Let’s make them last throughout the rest of the trip.”

“Deal. I’ll ask my first question now,” he said.

Betty felt something like adrenaline rush through her. It was both scary and exciting to agree to share your deepest secrets, to be an open book. She was also curious about what he would ask. What did he want to know about her?

“Why can’t I see your bucket list?”

Her shoulders slumped and she released her breath. That’s his first question? Not very daring.

“It’s just a little embarrassing and nothing serious,” she said honestly. “It’s a list I created on a whim. Longing for something more than life in Riverdale.” She shook her head and laughed. “God, that sounds dramatic. I just don’t want you to laugh about it.”

Jughead looked at her with a serious expression. “You think I would make fun of you for it. You are really selling me short here, Betty.” She felt a little ashamed. She had thought that. “Besides it was important enough for you to write down and I see you crossing things of that list. It doesn’t matter how silly it is. I would love to help,” he finished saying.

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what was on it.”

“Try me.” 

Betty felt her face heat up and instead of answering him, she focused on the car in front of her. It was bright blue with flames spray painted onto the sides. A creative and daring choice. You would think it would be driven by someone young, but behind the steering wheel was a woman of at least sixty, smoking a cigarette. When Betty pointed this out to Jughead, he laughed and created a story about the lady’s younger years as a drag race driver. 

The bucket list forgotten for now.

\---

They were stopped at a gas station. Betty checked the air pressure on all the tires and was currently messing with something under the hood of the car. Jughead just watched her. He found Betty the most fascinating when she was doing things she was good at and passionate about. A small part of him also liked seeing her bend over, so sue him.

“Everything seems to be alright with the car.”

She reappeared with a black streak of oil on her cheek, which Jughead found endearing. He grabbed some tissues from the glove box and gestured she should come closer. 

“You have something on your cheek.” He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head, so she was looking up at him. He gently wiped the paper over her skin, removing any dirt. Betty was watching him intently, not saying anything. His thumb was just under her bottom lip and the sudden urge to touch her lips was strong. 

Instead he let go and stepped back. “All cleaned up,” he said with a small smile.

Betty swallowed and shook her head lightly. “Thanks,” she said softly.

They had been driving for another hour and Jughead could tell Betty was getting tired. He checked the map and saw that they still had at least three hours to go until their original destination, but it was already five PM. He doubted that the reception of the campsite would still be open when they arrived. He shared this concern with Betty and she agreed.

“Why don’t we just go camping, like actual camping. Here. In the woods,” he suggested.

Betty looked concerned. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

Jughead shrugged. “More dangerous than on a campsite, but not actually dangerous. This area isn’t native to bears or snakes.”

She thought about it for a while, but he knew she would say yes. They didn’t have enough money with them to rent hotel rooms whenever they liked and there was no other campsite in the direct area. But to sway her decision he added, “where is your sense of adventure?”

Betty glared at him for using her own words against her. “Fine,” she sighed. “We’ll go camping in the woods.”

They drove a little further until they found a sheltered place by a river. Jughead suggested he put up their tent and Betty was so tired from the driving she made no objections. She just relaxed in a chair while he went to work. It did take him a little longer, as he wasn’t as well trained in creating tents as Betty, but the sense of accomplishment he felt once he was done was almost enough to make him enjoy physical labor. Almost.

He plopped down next to Betty and the angel already had a bag of chips waiting for him. They once again consumed a healthy meal of junk food and chatted about the past. Something about this trip had made them oddly nostalgic.

“It’s just like old times, when we would set up a tent in the backyard,” Betty said.

“Except we would get scared before midnight and sneak back into the house to sleep there,” he added.

She laughed softly. “Can’t do that now. Good thing we have become much braver. There is nothing we are scared of now.”

That was a lie. But it was a nice lie, so Jughead didn’t correct her.

He sat back and looked at the river. The sound of flowing water was calming and he closed his eyes for a second. Letting himself relax completely. He never thought being out in nature could be so comfortable. He was about to fall asleep when Betty’s voice interrupted his peaceful state.

“Let’s get drunk.”

Jughead’s eyes flew open and he stared at her. “What?”

“I have never been drunk before. Surely that is an experience I should have before college. What if I’m an awful drunk with no tolerance? What if someone takes advantage of me, because I can’t handle my alcohol?”

“That is dark, Betts.”

Betty looked him straight in the eyes. Her tone serious. “It happens, Jug. Deal with it.” Her gaze softened. “I just want my first time to be with someone I trust.”

Jughead felt his face heat up. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was touched that Betty trusted him or because that sentence could imply something very different when taken out of context.

“I’m sorry to inform you, but we are not 21 yet. We can’t buy alcohol.” The times were strange when he was the one being logical.

Betty gave him a smug smile. “Don’t underestimate me.” She rummaged through her bag and pulled out two bottles of white wine.

“Is that the bag of holding or something?”

Betty squinted her eyes and thought for a moment. “A Dungeons and Dragons reference, right?”

“Right,” Jughead confirmed. “How did you get that?”

She shrugged. “It wasn’t hard. I just asked Reggie. He was more than happy to help.”

That didn’t sit well with Jughead. Reggie wasn’t one to help someone out of the kindness of his heart. “And what did he want in return?”

“A kiss.”

Now he saw red. “You kissed him for wine?”

“Of course not,” Betty said, the disgust clear in her voice. “I shoved a twenty in his hand and told him to keep the change.”

Jughead breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to monitor or control Betty’s love life. That would be creepy and crossing a line. It also wouldn’t be good for himself. But the idea of Betty and Reggie together made him sick. More than usual when he thought about Betty dating.

He eyed the wine bottles and the challenge in Betty’s eyes. “Sure. Let’s drink,” he conceded. They were teenagers, after all. They were supposed to do stupid things. And getting drunk with your best friend isn’t that stupid.  
They filled plastic cups with wine and toasted. Jughead didn’t care for the taste, but after the second glass it went down pretty easy. The first bottle was gone quickly and Betty leaned her head on his shoulder with a content sigh. Jughead settled into a happy buzz while Betty played with his fingers. Drinking made her even more touchy, but he didn’t mind. She was the only person who would initiate physical affection with him and he actually liked it. Not that he would ever tell anyone that.

“Betts, was this on your bucket list?” he asked.

“Yep.” 

“Can I see your bucket list?”

Betty lifted her head and poked a finger in his cheek. “Are you just going to continue asking that until I give in? Is that your plan?”

Jughead pretended to bite at her finger and she quickly withdrew it with a squeal. “I just really want to know. I’m curious.”

Betty pursed her lips together while thinking, which made them even poutier than usual. Jughead felt the urge to lean in and claim them as his own, but he wasn’t that drunk yet.

“Ask me again tomorrow, when I’m sober,” she said. “I want to say yes, but I don’t think I’m in the right mind to make decisions, right now.”

“You are too smart even when you are drunk.” Jughead ruffled her hair and Betty swatted at his hand.

“I’m not drunk,” she said slowly. “I’m tipsy and a little tired.” She yawned right on time and stretched like a cat. “But I don’t want to go to sleep yet,” she continued. She looked around as if she was searching for something before grabbing her phone that had fallen onto the grass. A few swipes across the screen and music came out. “Let’s have a dance party!” She jumped up and did a twirl.

“I’m not drunk enough for that,” Jughead grimaced.

He watched Betty and remembered that she used to take ballet classes as a kid. She had a certain grace about her even while intoxicated. Now that grace was combined with a goofy and excited energy. She danced in her pretty yellow dress and on bare feet. Her hair was down and had a mind of its own. She was happy with no expectations resting on her shoulders. Jughead could watch this Betty for hours.

She stopped right in front of him. “You didn’t go to prom, Jughead,” she said abruptly.

He raised his eyebrows. “Neither did you,” he countered.

Betty pouted. “Isn’t that sad. Neither of us had that iconic high school experience.” She held out her hand. “Dance with me, Juggie. We can have our own little prom.”

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the way she was smiling at him. Maybe it was the fact that he could never deny Betty anything. He grabbed her hand and stood up before twirling her around. Her laughter was the best kind of music. The way they moved around couldn’t be described as dancing. They jumped and flailed and twirled in circles. They were laughing so hard that their stomachs hurt.

In the middle of the forest where no one could see them. They could just be their ridiculous, intoxicated selves.

Eventually the song ended and Betty fell into his chest, a giggly mess. He stroked her hair while he laughed himself. The adrenaline coursing through his body was intoxicating and the girl in his arms was addicting.

A new song started, a slow song. Betty looked up at him through heavy lashes and gave him a flirty smile. She was so beautiful with the moon highlighting her face. Without saying anything she laced their fingers together and put her other hand on his neck. His own hand went to her back and together they swayed under the moonlight. Betty placed a gentle kiss under his jaw before leaning her head on his shoulder. Their hands were over his pounding heart.

“I adore you, Juggie,” she whispered.

He felt his eyes sting at the genuine affection in her voice. It wasn’t a love confession, but it was close.

He pressed a kiss in her hair. “I love you,” he said so quietly, she couldn’t possibly hear. But it was his truth. In this moment, and in every moment, he loved her more than he could possible say. And he knew he didn’t want to lose her. Not to another place or another person. He wasn’t going to sit around until she noticed his pining. He had to act and show her how much he loved her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dancing part was actually what inspired this story, so it was fun to finally write it. I just had to create the beginning half of the chapter first, which is why it took two weeks to get here.
> 
> Next chapter our couple will go swimming and stargazing.
> 
> Please let me know what you thought down below. Comments make me happy. Apparently, I am a creature who thrives on validation. I don't know how I feel about that, but there is nothing I can do about it.


	5. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It only took me fourteen years to update this story.
> 
> I hope everyone is safe and doing well. I know the fandom hasn't been a lot of fun lately. Combine that with the shitshow that is the actual world right now and it's easy to feel a little down. That's how I have felt these past couple months, so it was hard to lose myself in the happy atmosphere of this story. Hopefully I succeeded in making this a fun chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

The first thing he saw when he woke up was green. The sparkling green of Betty’s eyes who were staring right back at him. Full of curiosity and adoration. Betty’s mouth curved up in a smile. 

“Good morning,” she whispered with a voice still heavy with sleep. It was a good morning. Any morning where he could wake up next to her was good. 

He was barely awake. That explained his next action. He moved forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He felt her react, but she didn’t pull away. “Good morning,” he said when he laid back down.

The kiss luckily hadn’t horrified her, because the smile was still on her face. Maybe even sweeter than it was before. She cupped his cheek and her thumb caressed his skin. Jughead would be happy to just lie here like this for the rest of time.

“We should get up,” Betty said, ruining his fantasy. 

He grumbled and threw an arm around her waist to pull her closer. “But I’m so comfortable,” he whined. “Let’s just stay here.”

“We can’t,” Betty responded, but she also snuggled closer into his chest. “We have a schedule to adhere to.”

“Vacations are supposed to be fun, hun. Besides we drove the whole day yesterday.”

“We did,” Betty agreed. “Which means that, if we leave now, we will get to our destination early this afternoon. And that leaves some time for activities.”

“What activities are better than lying in bed?"

“There is a swimming hole by the campsite.” She looked up at him through her lashes. "We could spent some time there. Get a tan. Go swimming."

An image of Betty in a bikini flashed through his mind and some parts of his body woke up instantly. Reggie Mantle would be proud.

“We should really get going.” He quickly sat up and started putting things in his bag.

The knowing look Betty shot him meant that she knew exactly what he was thinking. And for a second he was mortified, thinking he crossed a line. But then she sat up next to him and kissed his cheek. “Glad to see you so motivated,” she whispered before getting out of the tent.

After waking up completely and inhaling some food, packing the tent went quickly and before he knew it, they were back on the road. The drive today would only be four hours and Jughead was glad for it. His body was starting to protest to the long days in the car. Betty had a great car with fairly comfortable seats, but spending more than 40 hours in 7 days on them was not great.

“I have a question,” Betty said once they were smoothly cruising along. “One of my five questions.”

Jughead sat up a little straighter, wondering what she wanted to know. “Shoot.”

“Why didn’t you apply to go to art school?”

He stiffened for a second. How did she know? He hadn’t told anyone he had been looking at art colleges.

Betty smiled as she saw the question on his face. “I saw the brochures in your room. You’re not as sneaky as you think you are.”

He gritted his teeth. “I just went for the realistic choice.” He had to be honest, those were the rules. But that didn’t mean he had to be detailed.

Betty furrowed her brow. “Jug, you don’t really believe that. You are so talented.”

Those words evoked both frustration and satisfaction. “Betty, you are my friend. You’re biased. Besides, a bunch of scouts aren’t going to be impressed by cartoons and …”

“Yes, I am your friend,” Betty cut him off. “And you should trust me to always be honest with you. Your art is amazing. I may not be extremely knowledgeable, but I have seen your evolution in drawing. As a kid, you managed to knock out entire comic books at an impressive rate. You are creative and talented and you can do whatever you want, if you believe in yourself.” She took a breath and shot him a look. “And the Jughead I know believes in himself.”

He averted his eyes and stared out the window. “Thanks, Betts.” His voice was soft, but final. A bunch of conflicting emotions lived within him. A part of him was pleased at Betty’s praise, but her final words had hit him where it hurt. Jughead had always had confidence in himself, but these past few months the doubts had grown. To the point where he hadn’t even tried to apply to his dream school.

Betty’s hand fell on his lap, demanding his attention and when he looked up again, there was a playful smile on her lips. “Are you going to miss me, though?” she asked.

Jughead’s heart squeezed. “So fucking much,” he said. The words genuine and serious, probably to serious for the lighthearted question.  
He hadn’t let himself think about it too much. About after this trip. After this summer, they would be separated by hundreds of miles. Obviously he would miss his parents and Jellybean and Hot Dog. But they were his family. They had to love him. Betty was going to meet a whole slew of new and interesting people and she would forget about him. Not on purpose. She would just get caught up in her new life and forget about Riverdale and poor old Jug.

He thought that he could easily leave Riverdale behind. Jughead didn’t really get attached to things or people that easily. But he realised he might be more desperate than he thought to hold onto his little town and to the girl beside him for just a little longer.

He was so busy with his own thoughts and realisations that he almost didn’t hear Betty’s response. “Me too, Jug,” she said and she shot him a secret smile. “So fucking much.”

He had to fight the grin that threatened to spill onto his face and instead he faked a gasp. “Language, Elizabeth.”

The tent was set up quickly, all thanks to Jughead who had been motivated to work. He was resting in one of the camping chairs when Betty appeared in front of him. “Good work, Jug,” she said. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Please let it be food,” he groaned dramatically as he clutched his stomach to indicate the fact that he was starving.

Betty rolled her eyes affectionately. “I think that can be arranged. But first, I have this.” From behind her back she revealed her travel journal and held it out towards him. Jughead raised his eyebrows at her. “I have thought about it and decided that you can see the list.” 

Exhaustion made way for excitement and Jughead grabbed the notebook. Finally the mystery of the list would be resolved, but Betty didn’t let go and when he looked up, he saw the nerves on her face. “Just so you know, no deep thoughts went into it. I just wrote down a few things that came to mind. I also don’t expect to cross off every single item. I’m not even sure I want to.” Jughead put his hand over Betty’s, which effectively put a stop to her rambling.

“It’s okay, Betts. I won’t make fun of your list.”

She chewed her lip nervously, but nodded and she slowly let go of the journal. “I’m gonna go change,” she said. “So that we can leave after you read it.”

He waited until she was in the tent, before opening the journal. The list was on the very first page and his eyes flew over the words. Some of them had already been crossed of like. Things like go camping and eat until you’re nauseous. But there were still many more that were left untouched. The cogs in Jughead’s head already started turning to figure out how to complete them all within a week, until his eyes got stuck on the last few items. He shut the notebook quickly and took a deep breath. His vivid imagination conjured up a few images that made his cheeks burn.

Betty had a very ambitious bucket list.

There was something about Betty that made Jughead’s body feel alive. The way she looked, coming out of the water in her unfairly cut, pink bikini made him feel like he had just run a marathon. Out of breath, a little sweaty, his skin overly sensitive. This is what people considered attraction. Jughead never thought about sex. It was weird, but true. When all his peers started freaking out over a bra strap, he just rolled his eyes. When they talked about girls in the locker room, he got dressed extra quickly.

Maybe he was a late bloomer. Although, he was only eighteen, so how late was he really? Or maybe Betty was just his kryptonite. She was the only girl he had ever had feelings for and he knows that his feelings were romantic long before he was sexually attracted to her.

All thoughts on the topic left his brain when Betty stopped in front of him and grabbed his hand. She left no room for arguments as she lead him towards the water. He shouldn’t dwell on unimportant questions. He should live in the now. And now he was going to swim with Betty.

As they walked past, a group of guys openly ogled at Betty. Jughead wanted to scowl at them. Which was ridiculous. After all, he had just done the same thing. The guy closest to them shifted his gaze over to Jughead and he could see the question on the guys face. What was a girl like Betty doing with a guy like him? Jughead didn’t know the answer, except that she wasn’t with him. Not really.

She turned around and for a moment, her eyes were stuck on his bare chest. He wasn’t anything special. Just an average boy who didn’t work out. Unusually skinny for the amount of food he ate. He wasn’t considered classically handsome or attractive. But Betty was looking at him with appreciation. Appreciation for his body, his looks. He never cared what people thought of his appearance, because it wasn’t important. But Betty’s stare gave him a confidence boost nonetheless.

He shot one last look at the group of guys watching them and raised his eyebrows in a challenge. It was childish, but he didn’t care. Before jumping into the water, taking Betty with him. She squealed with delight and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing their bodies together. It felt natural after their past week of cuddling and Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him.

“Remember how you used to be scared to go swimming?” Betty asked with her face buried in his neck. He suppressed the urge to shiver as her lips brushed against his skin.

“You would be too, if a giant like Moose Mason held you underwater until you almost drowned. It was a traumatic experience.”

Betty pulled back a little, so she could look him in the eyes. “Well, I’m glad you overcame your trauma.” She lifted one hand and brushed the wet locks of hair from his forehead. Her gaze drifted down to his mouth for a second and when she returned it to his eyes, he saw the determination. They were so close and Betty was leaning forward. Jughead’s entire body hummed with anticipation and he closed his eyes. He felt her breath on his lips, when a wave of water engulfed them both, leaving them drenched and sputtering. A couple of kids decided to cannonball into the water only a feet away from them. Their moment had disappeared and they were back into the real world. Betty was looking at him with a blush and a shy smile. She loosened her arms around his neck and started to swim away. Jughead wanted nothing more than to drag her back to him, but he didn’t move.

“Come on, Jones,” Betty shouted over her shoulder. “Let’s race. The quickest to do a lap around the pond.”

Jughead cursed under his breath. Wondering how the moment had gone from romantic to the exact opposite so quickly. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to make light of their almost kiss, clearly embarrassed. He decided to play along. “You’re on, Cooper.”

Jughead lost. He always did.

\---

Betty lazily stretched on her towel. She hadn’t realized how tired she was after a week of traveling, hadn’t let herself feel the exhaustion in her body. But right now while the sun was warming her skin, she finally felt all her muscles relax.

Beside her she heard soft snoring and she looked to her side to see Jughead asleep. She shook her head affectionately. Of course, he would be able to fall asleep while surrounded by dozens of other people. Carefully, she covered his face with a baseball cap to make sure he wouldn’t get burned. 

She lifted herself up on her elbows and examines the place around them. It was absolutely stunning. A swimming hole in the middle of the forest. It almost felt tropical with the clear water and the sun rays streaming through the trees. They have seen some beautiful landscapes on the trip, but this might be the best yet. This trip was doing her so much good, she felt happy and relaxed. Unfortunately, they were already halfway there. Betty’s stomach dropped when she thought about Riverdale. She didn’t want to go back. She had created her own little paradise together with Jughead and she didn’t want to leave it yet. What would it be like when they were back in town? Would they go back to normal?

Except there wasn’t any time for that. Because they would start packing for college the moment they got back. The realization hit Betty like a ton of bricks. This week might be the last time she and Jughead were alone together. She had known this, but it still made her sad. It made her feel sick in all honesty.

She was excited to go to college. She had been looking forward to it. Riverdale felt small and college was a new, big adventure. Away from her embarrassing childhood. She was ready for a new start. But now she was on a different adventure and she realised she wasn’t ready to let go of it yet.

She stood up and headed towards the water once more. Another swim would probably calm the storm of emotions. She was aware of all the eyes on her, checking her out. Back in Riverdale she would have revelled in the attention, would have swayed her hips and smiled sweetly. But today she only be satisfied by one pair of eyes on her. She shook her head as she remembered how she had almost kissed him, losing herself in the moment. But he hadn’t shaken her off or even seemed upset. So that was promising. Still, she told herself to be careful with Jughead. This was dangerous territory that could ruin their friendship, something she would be devastated over. The past week had showed her how important Jughead was to her and she was determined to not lose him over something stupid like romance.

They spend the rest of the day by the swimming hole. Jughead napped most of the time, while Betty swam and read. When the sun went down, they decided to head to one of the restaurants on the campsite. It was a bit of a splurge, but neither one of them wanted to cook. The day in the sun made them lazy. They decided to dress up. Betty in a white summer dress with her hair down and Jughead in a button with his hair freed from his beanie.

They were giddy as they worked their way through the main course. They tried to order some wine, but had to settle for soda’s when the waitress gave them a skeptical look and asked for identification. Betty asked if they could at least get the soda’s served in a wine glass. The waitress had rolled her eyes and muttered something about kids, before coming back with two wine glasses filled with orange liquid. Jughead had made a dramatic toast about the beauty of a well cooked steak and Betty had giggled like she was drunk on happiness.

“Do you want to order a dessert?” The waitress now asked.

“Can you please put two slices of chocolate cake in a doggy bag for us. We have somewhere to be,” Jughead answered.

Betty looked at him confused. “We do?”

Jughead squeezed her hand. “I have something planned.” The crooked smile he shot her way made her stomach flip. Why had no one warned her against this man? 

“Oh,” Jughead turned back to the waitress who was already walking towards the kitchen. “Can you make that four slices?” he called after her. Betty smiled. Even though, Jughead now had the ability to make her swoon, he was still the glutton she knew and adored.

Jughead led her right past their tent to the other side of the camp site. It was a secluded place surrounded by trees, hiding them away from the other tents. Jughead laid down a blanket that he had brought with him without Betty knowing and sat down. “I thought we could have a little picnic under the stars.”

Her heart skipped a beat. This was romantic. It seemed like a date. Betty liked the thought that Jughead planned a date for her. She took her place next to him with her thigh firmly pressed against his, because she would use any excuse to get some physical contact in. “This is sweet, Jug,” she said.

He just shrugged. He always did that when she expressed her appreciation for him. They ate the delicious cake as the sun slipped under the horizon and the hot air made way for a refreshing breeze. They ate and talked about the past. They had done that a lot this trip, apparently they were feeling nostalgic. Maybe it was because the past was a certainty and safe. Their future was unclear.

After the chocolate cake was gone, Betty ate one and Jughead three, he laid on his back with his hands behind his head. Betty just looked at him for a little while. Something she discovered in the past week was that she enjoyed looking at Jughead’s face and she was unashamed about it. From his hair to his goofy nose to his lips. She drank in the sight of him.

“You’re gonna burn a hole in my face,” Jughead muttered. He peeked one eye open to look at her. “If you are done admiring me. Come lie down. There is something even prettier to look at.”

He pointed upwards and Betty looked followed the direction. Above them the dark sky was completely filled with bright stars. In Riverdale you could barely make out a few, because of light pollution. But here they were clear and beautiful. She let out an excited squeal when she saw a shooting star. It was something so simple, but it made her happy.

“Did you bring me here to see this?” she asked.

“It was on your list, right? Stargazing,” he replied while tugging on her hand so she would lie down next to him. “Although, I thought it was a little ordinary. But I asked by the reception and they said this place was the best for stargazing.”

A happy grin spread across her face. “I originally had sleeping under the stars written down, but I thought that would be a dangerous and uncomfortable. But lying down like this, looking up at a sky you could never see in the city or even a little town like Riverdale, I thought that would be pretty special.” She took a deep breath of cool evening air and felt refreshed. “It’s pretty and romantic.”

Jughead hummed his agreement. “When I see things like this. Something so beautiful. It makes me want to draw,” he said before laughing softly. “But then I get frustrated, because I can’t capture it right.”

“But there isn’t a right way to capture it, is there? It’s all your own creative vision. Right?”

Jughead was quiet for a while before grabbing her hand and interlacing their fingers. “Right.”

They lay there for what felt like hours. Just staring at the sky and holding hands. Betty wished they could spent many days like that.

“It’s a full moon tonight,” she said lightly, making it sound like an innocent observation.

It took Jughead ten seconds to respond. “Betty,” he said, his voice low. Betty’s heart started beating rapidly in anticipation, knowing what was coming. “One of your bucket items was a kiss under the moonlight. Right?”

She turned her head his way to see him already looking at her. Their gazes locked and the air felt charged. Another ten seconds passed. “Yes,” she finally whispered.

It was unclear who moved first, but in the next moment Jughead’s lips brushed against hers. It was sweet and tender and completely unsatisfying. Her hands went to his collar and she pulled him closer, settling her mouth firmly over his. Jughead groaned in approval and moved until he was leaning over her. When she licked his lower lip, he gasped and Betty felt that gasp in her entire body. She couldn’t explain the frantic hunger that rushed through her. All she wanted to do was pull him completely on top of her and wrap her legs around his waist. Instead her fingers slid into his hair and she lightly tugged, earning another groan out of him. She could get lost in this boy for hours.

Way too soon he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. They were both breathing hard. Jughead’s eyes were dark and his lips swollen. It was a beautiful sight. That hadn’t been just a simple kiss. The moment their lips touched, she lost control and it had been amazing. She was about to reclaim his mouth, having decided that a ten second break was long enough to catch their breath, when Jughead spoke, “Now you can cross that of the list.”

He might as well have dumped a bucket of ice water over her, it would have had the same effect. The list. That was why he had kissed her. To help her complete her stupid list. She gently pushed him away and forced a smile. “Yep. Thanks,” she said in a unnaturally high voice. She sat up and placed her hand over her pounding heart, willing it to calm down.

“Are you okay?” Jughead asked.

“Yep,” Betty said again, because that was apparently the only word left in her vocabulary. She didn’t look at him while she stood up and dusted herself off. “Just a little tired. I’m going to bed.” Without waiting for an answer, she walked away. Leaving Jughead behind. She needed some distance to sort out her feelings.

She had gotten her kiss. It had both been better and worse than she could have ever imagined it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone told me that every story needs conflict. I hate that idea and yet here we are. There is some conflict.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	6. Stay at a rundown motel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes she doesn't update in months and sometimes she updates twice in one week. I like to keep you guys guessing. I also felt guilty about the way I ended the last chapter, so I was compelled to quickly update.
> 
> I take no responsibility for the actions of these characters. They completely acted on their own accord in this chapter and all I could do was stand back and write it down. Also check the additional tag and know that tags and ratings may change in the future.
> 
> This chapter is almost 2000 words longer than usual, which is a lot for me. So please enjoy!

Betty felt like a zombie, she probably looked like one as well. The night had been rough. Her mind had been stuck on replaying the kiss and Jughead’s words afterwards. It didn’t help that it felt like there had been an actual wall between her and Jughead during the night. She had played with the idea to just pretend she was asleep and snuggle into his chest. She had wanted to do that, but she couldn’t. Her head was a mess.

To make it all worse, the morning had been awkward. They barely spoke a word to each other as they packed up their stuff and loaded the car. She hated it. She never experienced this with Jughead. Their friendship had always been an easy one, without drama. Now, one kiss had ruined it all. One amazing kiss had turned out a disaster.

She was about to open the car door, preparing herself for another day of driving, when Jughead’s hand appeared, keeping it shut. She spun around and found Jughead only inches away. Their position really highlighted their height difference and Betty cursed her traitorous heart for beating so fast.

Jughead was the one to break the tense silence. “I’ll drive today,” he said. “You go sit in the passenger seat and rest. You seem tired.”

It was always the unspoken rule that Betty drove, not only because it was her car but also because she was the best driver in their friend group. Betty enjoyed driving. Today however, she felt exhausted to the bone, so she got in the passenger seat without complaining.

She stared out the window as they silently moved over the road. For the first time that week, the sky was clouded and it looked like a storm was coming. The weather coordinated with Betty’s mood. She wanted to speak, wanted to talk to Jughead. But she didn’t know how. It was as if her vocal chords were gone every time she opened her mouth. So she just settled for leaning her head against the window and closing her eyes. She was too tired for any kind of confrontation anyway.

An hour later and they rolled into a gas station. The moment the car stopped, she jumped out and headed towards the bathroom. She felt like a coward. She was overreacting. But her feelings were a mess and she didn’t even know how to begin sorting them out. That was the problem with traveling, if something happens you can’t just put some distance between you and the other person. They are always right next to you. And having Jughead in such close proximity messed with her thinking process.

She made herself a promise that she would talk to him when she got back. It was no use ignoring him. If she went on like this, she wouldn’t have a friend anymore when they got back to Riverdale.

Betty took her time washing her hand and getting snacks. She got all of Jughead’s favourites which, coincidentally, were her favourite snacks as well. It was an ice breaker. Something to get the conversation going.

When she got back to the car, arms filled with food, she was greeted by something on her seat and a nervous looking Jughead next to it. When she picked up the item, she saw that it was a sketchbook. His sketchbook. The one he guarded with his life. “Jug, what is this doing here?”

Jughead was drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, seemingly focused on something in front of the car. “You can look at it,” he said. “It might explain some things to you.” 

Betty’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” This time Jughead looked at her and the emotion in his eyes overwhelmed her. “I want you to see.”

She just nodded and got in the car. Jughead put some music and started driving, not saying another word. For some reason, her hands were a little shaky while opening the sketchbook.

The first few pages were a mess of doodles and cartoons, mostly recreations of already existing characters. Betty smiled as she recognized Pureheart the Powerful and Flygirl. But Jughead had given them his own twist and she once again realised how talented he is.

As she flipped through the pages, she found some familiar faces. On the page in front of her were all her friends drawn in cartoon form. These kinds of pictures she had seen countless times. Archie with his guitar and Reggie with his letterman jacket. Some comics realistic, some more far fetched and some were down right gorey. She rolled her eyes as she saw Veronica with fangs and blood dripping down her face while she was standing on Archie’s lifeless body. Jughead wasn’t always subtle.

When she got to the next page, she felt her breath leave her body. She stared at the face of a young Jellybean. She, however, was not done in a comic style. It felt like Betty was looking at a picture. He had beautifully captured her bright eyes and gleeful smile. She traced her fingers over the girls hair, convinced she would feel the strands. This was drawn with so much love for the subject, you could feel it radiating off the page. 

After looking at it for a full minute, she forced herself to move on. On the following pages he depicted different sights across Riverdale like the diner and sweetwater river with startling realism. She could almost see the neon lights or the water flowing. There were experimental pages where he tried drawing the same objects in different styles. 

She felt her smile grow as she turned page after page, until she stumbled on the first drawing of herself. It was a picture of her and Jughead with at their feet a little Hot Dog. They were smiling and holding hands. It was a cute drawing with dramatized features like her big eyes and his long nose. They seemed to be about nine years old. It took a moment for the memory to fall into place, but this was an actual picture that hang in both the Jones’ and Cooper houses of them as children, right after the Joneses adopted Hot Dog. Her heart swelled at the memory of them playing with the little pup all day until FP took Hot Dog away from them so the pup could get some rest.

As beautiful as that drawing was, it did not prepare her for what came next. Several different versions of herself stared back at her. A version who looked like a princess with a beautiful dress and long hair falling down in waves. A version of herself dressed as Sherlock Holmes and one as an assassin. And then there were the ones that were purely her. Her in her running gear on the track. Her in an apron surrounded by pies.

One in particular that stood out was her leaning against a car in her overalls and a messy bun and grease all over her face. The smile on her face radiated both joy and confidence, which was exactly how she felt when she worked on cars. Even when she was supposed to look like a mess, Jughead drew her so beautifully. Not in an unrealistic way by distorting her body, but just in the way how he highlighted her eyes or smiles. Her imperfections were still there, like her freckles or that one scar she got in a baseball accident, but they didn’t look like imperfections. They looked real and beautiful, like there was nothing to be ashamed off. 

There were less happy ones too. Ones that were still beautiful, but hard to look at. Betty realised that this sketchbook was Jughead’s version of a diary. He drew what he couldn’t put into words. These were his innermost thoughts and he was showing them to her. There was a drawing of an injured Hot Dog and a crying Jughead next to him. There was a picture of all their guy friends laughing and Jughead standing at a distance, a literal wall between them. 

And then there was the one that completely destroyed her. It was a drawing of her and Archie smiling happily. Their eyes were drawn as hearts and the sun was shining down on them and in the background was Jughead holding his own heart in his hand while a rain cloud was above his head. The date on the page was from five years ago. 

She quickly moved on until she landed on a picture of her and Jughead lying on his bed playing video games. The page after that was them reading books together and after that was a picture of her kissing his cheek. A huge smile covered his face and little hearts were floating by their heads.

Eventually she landed on the last page in the book that had a drawing on it and her heart skipped a beat when she recognized it. It was from their hike up the mountain earlier that week. He had drawn the view expertly. She was instantly brought back to that moment, staring at the lake with the sun reflected in it, surrounded by nature and mountains. He had drawn it all, but in the central point of the picture was Betty. At first glance it looked like a portrait, but in her eyes he had drawn a map of the world and the pose she was holding looked like she was ready to take it on. She looked powerful. 

She slowly closed the sketchbook. Her heart was beating rapidly and her eyes were wet. This entire morning she had avoided Jughead like a coward over one little comment and here he was bearing his heart to her. The storm of emotions raging inside her was overwhelming, but in that moment she knew she had to make it right.

\---

Betty had been quietly looking at the window for five minutes now. Jughead was glad that he was driving as it gave him something to focus on, instead of obsessing over how Betty reacted to his sketchbook. 

He had put it on her seat on a whim while she was away. She had acted distant from him ever since last night and he realized he screwed up. She had given him his first kiss and it had been amazing and in all his confusing emotions he had mentioned her list. At first he had been confused why she reacted so coldly towards him afterwards. But as he lay there at night, he realized how stupid he had sounded. She thought he just kissed her to cross off another item when that was the farthest thing from the truth.

He wanted to tell her what he felt for her, but he couldn’t find the words. That was when he decided to show her his sketchbook. Drawings were a replaced for words. A good picture spoke a thousand words.

Now he was forced to sit there while she was looking at his innermost thoughts and desires. He had put his heart in her hands and with the slightest effort she could crush it. Betty obviously wouldn’t do that on purpose, but she held all the power in this moment. He had given it to her and all he could do was wait for her judgement.

“Jughead,” Betty finally spoke up. “Pull up here.”

For a second, he panicked. Was she freaked out? Would she get out of the car if he stopped it? He decided that ignoring her request would ultimately make the situation worse, so he carefully navigated the car off the road and turned off the motor. 

For a few agonizing seconds, nothing happened and then Betty moved. With natural graze, she got up from her seat, threw her legs over the gear shift and sat down in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Relief won out over shock as he placed his arms around her, holding her close. 

“Have I told you lately that you are really talented?” Betty murmured into his neck.

“You might have mentioned it a couple of times,” he responded.

“Well, I mean it. You are so goddamn talented.” She pulled back and he could see the unshed tears in her eyes. “You should never doubt yourself.”

Jughead just nodded, because what do you say to that.

Betty smiled and wiped at a tear that had escaped. “Thank you for showing me,” she said softly. “It was beautiful.” Another tear fell down and this time Jughead was compelled to wipe it away himself. His thumb lingered on her cheek and he heard her breath catch. She chewed on her lip while she thought. “Question” she said. “Have you been holding back around me?”

He hadn’t expected that, but his answer was out of his mouth before he could think about it. “Yes.”

Betty nodded as she took this in. “Did you like kissing me the other night?”

“Yes.”

The corner of her mouth lifted at his quick response and he saw her fill up with confidence. She moved closer until her breath was fanning his lips. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

“Please.”

He felt her smile as she tentatively pecked his lips. Once. Twice. Three times, before she settled her mouth over his. Whereas their kiss last night had been frantic, this one was slow and sweet and just as incredible. Betty moved her mouth over his and he responded with enthusiasm. She tugged on his lower lip and then immediately soothed it with a lick. The girl was good and she made Jughead’s body come alive. She started trailing kisses all over his cheeks and down his neck and then she moved her hips unfairly. He grabbed her waist to hold her still. “Don’t,” he groaned. “Don’t do that or something embarrassing will happen.” Betty giggled and the sound was so adorable, yet arousing that he moved her over his lap. He’d always been bad at listening to himself. Betty’s giggles were replaced by a gasp and he felt something like male pride. She pulled back a little and looked at him with lust and affection. An addicting combination.

“I’m sorry, Betts,” he blurted out. “I said something stupid yesterday. I was confused and overwhelmed, because I like you and I finally got to kiss you. I didn’t kiss you, because of a list. I am sorry. I never meant to make you feel that way.”

Betty listened to him patiently while he rambled on. “I like you, Juggie,” she confessed after he was done. “A lot.” Those small words made Jughead’s heart feel like it was about to jump out of his chest. “And I want to see where we can go together. If you want that too.” 

Jughead started nodding, because words felt impossible.

“We can use this week to explore the concept of us. Romantically.” She kissed his cheek and then moved towards his ear. “And physically,” she added before grazing her teeth against his earlobe. Jughead did a full body shiver. “What is your answer, Jug?”

He moved his hand into her hair and gently pulled her back. “I’ll show you my answer,” he growled before crashing their mouths together. For the first time, he took the lead and Betty followed. It was messy and uncoordinated, but it felt amazing. Betty moved in his lap again and every nerve on his body got activated. He was surprised by the need that coursed through him. He wanted Betty. Badly. In a way he had never wanted anyone else before. He thought about stripping her shirt off, before realising that they were in a car in a public place where everyone could see them. So he forced himself to slow down.

After five more minutes of lazy kisses, they both decided that they should stop now if they ever wanted to start driving again. With reluctance Betty moved back into her seat. Jughead saw his hands shake as he gripped the steering wheel. He took a few breaths to calm himself down and started the car.

As they cruised along, they talked. They kept the topics light for now, both still processing what just happened. Everytime Betty touched him, a spark was added to the fire that was burning within him and it took all his mental energy to not crash the car. He felt wild and alive and a little scared.

But despite that, they still talked like they always did. Jughead thought that the mix of romance would ruin their easy going dynamic. Their friendship. And he was glad to see that it was still there. So they talked and laughed and sang along to the music. Both were hyper and happy and excited as rain started to pour down onto their car.

They decided to get some McDonalds at the drive-through and eat in the car. They ate Big Macs and listened to Smash Mouth as they watched the sun dip below the horizon. It was peak romance according to Jughead. 

“How long, Juggie?” Betty asked as she took a sip of her strawberry milkshake.

She didn’t need to clarify. He knew exactly what she wanted to know. He took her in. Her sleepy eyes. The soft waves framing her face. Her pink lips turned up in a small smile. He couldn’t imagine a time where he didn’t love her.

“I honestly don’t know,” he said. “I’ve always liked you, Betts. But I don’t know when those feelings turned romantic.” He shrugged helplessly. “A really long time,” he added softly.

Betty opened her mouth as if she was going to say something before shaking her head and giving him a soft look. “Thank you, Juggie. For trusting me with your heart.” She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss, because that is what they did now. They kissed. She started to pull back, but he chased her. Not wanting to let go. The fire inside him had been stoked and it wanted more. He gently tugged on her lower lip liked she had done earlier and the little whine that escaped Betty made him bold. He licked into her mouth and explored until breathing became a necessity.

Betty’s cheeks were dusted in red when they parted. “Not bad, Jones,” she said, her voice breathy. She cupped his cheek and he automatically leaned into her touch. “Nothing has to happen. Not tonight. Not tomorrow or this entire trip. You know that right?”

“What if I wanted something to happen?” He didn’t recognize his own voice, the tone was dark and somewhat seductive. He swore he saw Betty’s eyes darken. She kissed him once more before whispering in his ear. “Let’s go find a place to spend the night.”

That place turned out to be a rundown motel. It had finally started to storm and the idea of sleeping in a tent while rain and thunder was pouring down on them wasn’t appealing. That’s why they were now standing in the lobby, if you could call it that, of a motel Betty spotted. Jughead raised an eyebrow at the excited expression on her face. 

“What?” Betty asked when she saw him looking.

“I am trying to figure out if you planned this somehow,” he replied. “Staying at a motel was on your list.”

“I can’t control the weather. This is all just a happy coincidence.”

A man with a beard so long that it reached his belly button appeared behind the desk. He eyes the two suspiciously for a moment. “What can I do for you?” His tone was not friendly.

“We’d like a room for the night,” Jughead said. “One bed please,” he added with a quick look towards Betty. She smiled and nodded at him. 

The guy glanced between the two of them and sighed. “Just keep it quiet up there,” he said while handing him a key. When they walked away, he heard the guy make a comment about horny teenagers.

“It’s perfect,” Betty stated when they entered the room.

“You have a funny sense of perfection,” Jughead commented as he surveyed the place. It was bare with one bed in the middle and definitely not clean. “It’s very brown.” and he didn’t know if that was a conscious decision or just because the place was ancient.

“It’s shady and cheap. The very definition of rundown. It is everything I wanted.”

Jughead leaned against the door and crossed his arms. “You are a weird one, Cooper.”

Betty turned to him and her gaze travelled over his entire body before landing on his eyes. The look she now wore had transformed from giddy to something intense. She dropped her bag and made her way towards him. Despite him being significantly taller than her, he felt like a prey being hunted by a lioness. And he didn’t mind.

Without saying anything, Betty stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his mouth. And another. And a third. Every moment of contact was like electricity. Intense and shocking. Eventually Jughead couldn’t take the teasing anymore and grabbed her face, holding her still while he settled his mouth over hers. They kissed passionately and messily with teeth and tongue. Betty broke off and started trailing kisses down his neck.

They were moving fast. So fast. But the sheer want rushing through Jughead’s body made it hard for him to think and when Betty pressed their bodies together, he banished any other thought than how right she felt in his arms. His hands settled on her waist and his thumbs disappeared under her shirt, running circles on her warm skin. Where his hands were tentative, Betty’s were sure. She tugged the beanie from his head, before throwing it across the room. Now with free access, she luxuriously ran her hands through his hair, undoubtedly making stick out in weird angles. In another moment, he wanted to lay his head on her lap and just let her play with his hair, that simple act felt that good. Then she gave it a sharp pull and the delicious sting went straight through his body.

Jughead turned them around and pushed Betty against the door. He took advantage of her surprise by attacking her neck, sucking on her pulse. That was going to leave a bruise and the idea thrilled Jughead. He heard Betty curse under her breath and her hands disappeared under his shirt, scratching along his back. He got the hint and took a step back. Betty whined at the loss of contact, but immediately stopped when he tugged his shirt off. Her eyes examined his chest and a satisfied smirk appeared on her face. She followed his lead by taking her own shirt off and Jughead stopped breathing for a moment.

He slowly walked towards her again. His hands settling on her waist and his forehead resting against hers. “You are the most gorgeous person I have ever seen.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I have never felt like this before. My body has never reacted this way. It scares me a little,” he confessed with shaky breath.

Betty’s hands cupped his cheek and she made him look at her. The tenderness in her eyes was at odds with her crazy hair and swollen lips. “Juggie.” His name sounded even better than usual coming from her lust filled voice. “I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you want to stop now, that is fine. You can tell me anything.”

“You too, Betts,” he said. “You don’t think we are going to fast?”

“That is for us to decide. There are no rules here, only feelings,” she said. “If you have doubts. We stop. But you don’t have to think about society’s expectations. We make the rules here.” The smile on her face combined with the understanding in her eyes made his chest warm. He had no doubts. Honestly, the thought of stopping here was torture.

“We don’t have to have sex,” Betty continued. “I don’t even have a condom and I’m gonna guess you don’t have one in your wallet.” The suggestion was so ridiculous that Jughead would have laughed if he wasn’t looking at a topless Betty. “But,” she added in a seductive voice. “There are a lot of other things we can do. Other things we can explore.” Her hands slid from his face onto his chest, her nails lightly scratching his skin. He was so turned on that he was afraid he was going to explode. In more ways than one. “Do you trust me?” she asked.

“More than anyone in this world,” he said while kissing her nose.

“Good. Tell me if there is anything you don’t like. And definitely tell me if there is anything you do like,” she said with a smile. Her hands traveled lower until they reached his belt. “Will you take this off?” she asked. Jughead had always been good at following Betty’s instructions, but for some reason his hands were too shaky to get his belt undone. Betty chuckled and swatted them away, undoing his pants for him and pulling them down. After he kicked them off, she took his hand in hers and led him towards the bed before pushing him gently onto it. She took off her own pants and Jughead watched in appreciation.

“You’re beautiful,” he said.

Betty smiled. “You already said that.”

“Just stating facts, hun.”

Betty crawled over him. “You are not so bad yourself,” she said before kissing him. 

They kissed and licked and bit for what felt like hours. At one point, Betty’s hand went into his boxers and he was sure he saw stars. His orgasm quickly followed and he should have been embarrassed, but the look that Betty gave him, which was both smug and affectionate at the same time, told him that there was nothing to be ashamed off. 

At one point, he rolled her over and took the time to kiss every inch of her body. Every whine and moan out of Betty’s mouth made him work harder. Betty guided his hand to her panties and showed him how to touch her. He watched her expressions with fascination and amazement. He couldn’t get her to come, but she kissed him slowly telling him it was okay. Her own hand disappeared in her panties and his found purchase on her breast. She squealed when he pinched her nipple and he swallowed her moan when she eventually came.

Afterwards they lay on the bed facing each other with their hands in between them.

“How do you feel?” Betty asked.

“Exhausted and hungry,” he replied with a smirk to which Betty rolled her eyes. “And pretty fucking great. I didn’t think anything could ever feel so good.”

“And you don’t regret it?” she asked and for the first time since they entered this room he saw some vulnerability. She had been so confident and taken the lead for which he was grateful. She had been patient and caring about his feelings and experience. She had been amazing and he didn’t want her to feel anything other than that.

“Of course not.”

Betty shrugged. “I thought maybe I overwhelmed you and pushed you past your comfort zone.”

He cupped her cheek. “Betts, you checked in with me several times. I know, I’m inexperienced, but I can make my own decisions. You were wonderful and amazing. I’m glad I’m experiencing this with you.” He gently kissed her forehead and tucked her against him. “There is no one else I’d rather lose my virtue to.”

Betty laughed but he felt the wetness of her tears against his skin. “Officially we haven’t had sex yet, so you haven’t lost your virtue yet. You are still a virginal maiden.”

“This counts,” Jughead countered. What they experienced had been incredibly intimate and he didn’t understand that wasn’t considered sex. “I want this to count.”

Betty wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her face in his neck. “It counts, Juggie.” 

He combed his fingers through her hair until her breathing slowed. He hugged her closer and pressed his lips in her hair. He was so gone for this girl and he didn’t ever want to let go of her. His heart belongs to her. In this moment and every other one following, he was hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I can write angst even if my life depended on it. What can I say? These two characters just really wanted to make out with each other. I do not apologize for this fact.
> 
> Please let me know what you think, but be gentle. I am a fragile soul.


	7. Experience a summer romance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I update this story the same way Riverdale releases episodes, with many small hiatuses.
> 
> This is a quick little chapter I had not planned on writing, but obviously did. I just wanted them to go on a proper date.
> 
> I wrote and edited most of this during the night (the only time where the temperature is low enough to think), which is my weak excuse for the weirdness that is this chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

Betty woke to the feeling of soft lips traveling over her bare skin. Jughead was leaving tender kisses on her shoulders, her neck, her back. Any place he could reach apparently. Betty gave a content sigh and lazily stretched. She could get used to this.

“Good morning,” Jughead’s husky voice murmured against her skin.

“Morning.” She leaned into his touch and gasped lightly when he bit her shoulder. “What are you doing over there?” 

“Exploring.” She could feel his smile and for a moment she wondered if she was still dreaming. In what reality would Jughead kiss her awake? If it was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

Betty hummed approvingly as he placed a kiss against her temple before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to his chest. Betty had already known that her favourite place was in Jughead’s arms, but being in Jughead’s arms while he peppered her with kisses was even better.

“I did not know you were such an affectionate person,” she said.

“Me neither,” he replied while nuzzling his nose into her neck. “But I just can’t seem to get enough of you. Why did know one tell me how much fun this stuff was?”

“I am sure some of the guys mentioned it to you.”

“They did, but they also said that exercising is fun and we both know that is a lie.” Betty giggled and he pressed his lips against her cheek. “I don’t know how to stop kissing you now that I have started. We both know that I suck at regulating my addictions”

She wiggled free from his arms and rolled on top of him. They were both still wearing their underwear, they hadn’t taken it off last night, and those flimsy materials did not leave anything to the imagination. Now that Betty was fully awake, her skin was already overly sensitive. Everywhere they touched, she felt like she was burning and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She put her hands on his chest while she straddled him. The adoration in his eyes as he looked up at her made her stomach flip. She liked the view of Jughead shirtless beneath her and her mind was already calculating the next opportunity to get him in this position. It was like something between them had snapped, there was no restraint anymore.

His hands came to rest on her butt and he squeezed. A sigh of contentment fell from her lips. “You look great. I suggest you don’t put your clothes back on.”

Heat pooled low in her stomach as one of his hands slipped under the fabric of her panties. “Do you have a lingerie kink?” she asked sweetly while his fingertips travelled over her skin.

“Well, you certainly look great in them. You look great in everything, but this might be my new favourite look.” His other hand playing with the lacy material of her bra. 

“This isn’t even my best stuff,” Betty basically purred. She bent back down to kiss him deeply. “Do you want to draw me while I’m only wearing lingerie, Jughead?” she asked against his lips. His groan got swallowed by her kiss, but she knew his answer. She let herself melt into his body as they kissed the morning away.

“Betty, pinch me,” Jughead said, interrupting the game they were playing. Once they had fullen woken up from their daze of kisses and sleep, they were eager to get out of the motel. It had already looked dirty last night, but they both had different things on the mind at the time, but in broad daylight it was an absolute nightmare. They were finally motivated to get out of bed when Betty saw something crawling on the wall.

The car ride had gone by fast with them playing many of their car games. And small touches. They couldn’t seem to keep their hands to themselves. Now they had already reached their destination and that was what Jughead was currently pointing at.

“A city,” he said in amazement. City was a big word, it was only a little bigger than Riverdale, but after nearly a week in the forests, civilization looked good. 

“Our next stop,” Betty announced cheerfully. She smiled at Jughead who was already staring longingly at the diner which was one of the very first buildings that greeted them. “We can do some shopping here, both grocery shopping and getting some souvenirs. You want to get Jellybean something, right?”

Jughead nodded. “She would get mad if I didn’t,” he said casually. Betty rolled her eyes at him. He loved his little sister to pieces. The little girl had him wrapped around her finger, but Jughead tried to act like that wasn’t the case.

“And afterwards, I have some plans,” Betty said mysteriously while she parked in front of the diner. “But first, let’s get some sustenance to get us through the shopping.” Jughead was out of the car before Betty finished her sentence.

“There are too many,” Jughead said in bewilderment while he stared at the aisle displaying the condoms. Their first stop after getting lunch was the convenience store for groceries. While there they made the wise decision to get some condoms. It was always good to be prepared. “Big market and everything.” He raised his eyebrows at Betty, emphasising the word big. She rolled her eyes while biting on the corner of her lip, refusing to laugh at his stupid joke.

“Let’s see,” Jughead murmured while his eyes flew over the options. “Do you want a flavoured one? Is neon yellow an appealing colour?”

“Just grab some normal ones.”

Jughead nodded seriously. “Magnum condoms coming right up.”

An older woman walked by looking scandalized and glared at the couple. Betty dissolved into a fit of giggles and hit her face into Jughead’s shoulder while trying to calm down.

“Keep dreaming buddy,” she said. Jughead’s eyes were full of laughter and he gave her a crooked smile. Betty couldn’t help but kiss it. She felt on drunk on happiness.

Eventually they decided on the condoms and payed for their groceries. “Now what?” Jughead asked when they exited the store.

“Let’s split up for the moment,” Betty said. “I have some mystery shopping to do.”

Jughead raised his eyebrows. “You keeping secrets from me now, Cooper?”

“Don’t worry. I just need to get some girl things done. Afterwards we can go on a date.”

“Are you just assuming I will go on a date with you?”

Betty shook her head affectionately at him. “Juggie,” she said sweetly while looking up at him through his lashes. “Will you go on a date with me?”

Jughead pretended to think about it for a second before answering. “Only for you, Betty Cooper. But I don’t put out on a first date.”

“We’ll see about that.” Betty gave him a devilish smile before pressing a kiss to his jaw. She felt him shiver. “Now, be a good boy and put the groceries in the car. Let’s reconvene in an hour.”

\---

After strolling the streets in search of a gift for Jellybean, it really shouldn’t be that difficult to find something for a little girl, Jughead found himself in the diner once more. One of the waitresses looked perplexed to see him again. After all, he and Betty had only been there two hours ago, both scarving down big amounts of food. Now, Jughead smiled politely at the waitress. “Can I get another burger?” he asked.

The girl, who looked not much older than Jughead, widened her eyes for a second before remembering to be polite. “Of course,’ she said. “Take a seat.”

Jughead did just that. He found a booth in the back and decided to check his phone. He hadn’t felt the need to do that much this week and it relaxed him. He was already in paradise with Betty, so why did he need to care about the rest of the world? That being said, his mother would kill him if he didn’t occasionally update her on his well being and Jughead wanted to live past the next two weeks.

His phone got immediately flooded with text messages. Some from his mom asking him if he was alive. Two from his dad, telling him to text his mom. Dilton and Moose had texted him asking how the trip was going. And Archie had texted him. A lot. Several telling him how fun Mexico was with added pictures. A few asking him if Betty was angry and the most recent one asking if they were coming back soon. The trip to Mexico had been cut short and he apparently wanted to spend some time with his friends before summer was over. Jughead shook his head at the selfishness in those words. Archie was a problem he would deal with after they came back. One he didn’t really want to think about yet. 

He ignored Archie’s texts and answered the rest. He was just done updating his mom when Betty plopped in the opposite booth. She had several fancy looking bags with her. They were adorned with little ribbons and french words he didn’t understand.

“Successful haul?” he asked.

“You can say that.” Betty wiped some sweat from her forehead before reaching towards his milkshake and taking a sip. Jughead never shared food with other people. Food was sacred after all and Jughead believed in experiencing that holy feeling alone. As always, Betty was the exception and he just watched as she made the drink disappear. “Is it weird that I’m already starving?” she asked. She waved down the waitress and ordered another burger and a milkshake with two straws. The girl just shook her head in disbelief before walking back to the kitchen.

The couple looked at each other before dissolving into laughter. He felt silly and happy as he wiped a stray tear from his eye. Jughead couldn’t remember a time where he was laughing as much as he had on this trip. He glanced at the girl across from him and his heart swelled. This truly was paradise.

They checked into a cute little bed and breakfast run by an old lady who gushed over what a cute couple they were. The whole atmosphere was the exact opposite from the motel with pink flowers painted on the wall and little chocolates on their pillows. Jughead ate both with Betty’s permission. The room itself wasn’t much, but it had a queen sized bed and it was clean. So definitely an improvement.

Betty immediately disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for their date. She had tossed her shopping bags aside and Jughead stole a little peek. Inside he discovered dark, lacy material and a blush covered his face.

He should get ready too.

Half an hour later, Betty emerged from the bathroom looking like a different person. Jughead was glad he was already sitting on the bed, because he might have fallen over. Betty was always beautiful, this was a given, but the girl standing in front of him was a masterpiece. She was wearing a blue buttoned top which was tucked into a short white skirt. The first two buttons were undone showing a hint of cleavage and something black. Her hair was down in her usual waves, but her makeup looked different. Her eyes were darker and her lips were glossier. Everything was more pronounced. As his eyes traveled down her body, they got stuck on her shoes. Black heels which made her already great calves even more defined. The girl had amazing legs and Jughead really wanted to explore them with his hands and mouth.

In comparison, he was nothing special. He was wearing the same button up shirt he had worn on the night of their first kiss and his usual jeans. He hadn’t packed many fancy clothes, they were supposed to go camping after all. He had tried to tame his hair into obedience, but the jury was still out on how well he had done. This didn’t seem to matter to Betty though, because she walked towards him and leaned down to kiss him. 

“You look handsome,” she said. Jughead wanted to reciprocate the compliment, but his tongue failed him. Maybe because she was giving him a great view of her chest. How had he turned into such a horny little shit? Judging by the knowing smile Betty was wearing, she didn’t mind. She held out her hand. “Are you ready?” she asked.

Jughead slid his hand into hers and threaded their fingers. “Let’s go.”

Their first stop was an ice cream parlor across the street from the bed and breakfast. According to Betty, the ice cream was legendary. The parlor itself had a 50’s vibe that Jughead digged and a huge menu with a hundred different flavours. While they were in line, Jughead hugged Betty from behind and leaned his chin on her shoulder.

“What are you getting?” he asked.

Betty hummed while making her decision. “Is it boring if I want to go for something more traditional like chocolate?”

He clicked his tongue. “Aren’t you supposed to be an adventurer? Don’t you want to experience new things?”

“What are you ordering?” she asked with an exasperated tone.

He gave her a toothy grin. “Strawberry.”

Before he could react, she flicked him lightly against his forehead. “Idiot,” she mumbled affectionately.

They ordered their boring flavours and sat down in one of the old fashioned booths. When he took his first bite, Jughead had to close his eyes for a moment. How could ice cream be this good? For a while, they just ate in silence. He was totally on another planet until he felt the heat of Betty’s gaze on his face. 

Betty was leaning her chin on her hand and just looked at him. He self consciously wiped his chin, wondering if he had drooled, and frowned at her. “What?”

She smiled. “Was just thinking about the fact that this is your first date.”

“Whoa. Who said I have never gone on dates before.”

Betty rolled her eyes. “Okay, ladies man. Please enlighten me on all your dating experience.”

Jughead licked his spoon thoughtfully. “I mean getting ice cream with you is something I have done many times before. What makes this so special?” He was being difficult, because he enjoyed the way she scrunched up her nose when she was annoyed. He enjoyed all her facial expressions and wanted to see how many he could tease out of her.

Betty dug her spoon into her ice cream and held it in front of him. “Want a taste?” she asked, apparently moving on from the topic. Jughead closed his mouth around the spoon. The flavour burst alive on his tongue and he sighed in contentment. Ice cream was the best.

“Now let me taste yours,” she said.

Jughead held his spoon out the same way she had done, but she shook her head. Instead she crooked her finger at him and he leaned over the table to get closer. She met him halfway, kissing him. She licked at his lips thoroughly, seeking entrance, which he granted. She swept inside, chocolate met strawberry and he couldn’t help the moan that started low in his throat.

“There are children here,” someone behind them yelled and Betty pulled away with a satisfied grin.

“That’s what makes this special,” she told him in a low voice.

Jughead swallowed heavily while he slowly sank back into his seat. All the hairs on his arms were standing straight and he felt a little dizzy. This woman held a lot of power.

Betty took a triumphant bite of her ice cream before checking her watch. “I don’t want to rush us, but if we don’t hurry we’ll be late.”

“Late for what?” he asked.

“The movie,” Betty grinned.

Twenty minutes later, Jughead was sitting in the trunk of the jeep with a bucket of popcorn in his hands and a frown on his face. “Are we seriously going to watch Grease? There are so many other movies on the schedule.” His eyes scanned the drive-in schedule. “Look American Graffiti or Rebel Without A Cause.” He pushed the paper in Betty’s face.

“Grease is a classic and perfect for a summer night at the drive-in,” Betty countered. “You’ll love it.”

The smile on her face was so wide that you could see all her teeth. She was excited and happy, which was enough reason alone for Jughead to swallow his distaste for the movie. He looked around at his surroundings. He didn’t know when she had the time, but Betty had moved almost all their belongings out of the trunk and replaced them with comfy blankets and pillows. She had even attached a string of lights to the roof. She was right. All these things combined with the orange sky and evening breeze made for a picture perfect summer date.

He grumbled a few comments during the opening scenes, because he wanted to tease her just a little more and Betty pinched him in retaliation. They shared goofy smiles and she kissed his jaw while he wrapped his arm tightly around her, nuzzling in her hair. “This is pretty romantic.” His voice muffled by her hair.

“I wanted to do something special,” Betty said softly. “Do you like it?”

“It’s incredible. You’re incredible,” he blurted out, suddenly overwhelmed by emotions. He knew she had gone out of her way to give him a beautiful first date. She wanted to make him comfortable. To reassure him that they weren’t moving too fast and that this meant something to her. She did all of this for him, even if she didn’t show it. And he wanted to show his appreciation.

Slowly his hand made his way into her hair where he started playing with it, completely taking his attention away from the screen and focussing it on the girl next to him.

“Have I ever told you that I love your hair?” he asked as he twirled a strand around his finger. Her waves looked like they were dancing around his hand and it was just so soft, not to mention the smell of strawberry.

“You did have a weird obsession with pulling my ponytail when we were kids.” Her eyes widened in realization. “You really weren’t subtle, were you?”

Jughead smiled and pushed her hair to one side, pressing a kiss to her neck. 

“Jug,” Betty whispered. “Watch the movie.”

“I am,” he murmured against her skin where he continued to explore instead of returning his eyes towards the screen.

He sucked on her pulse and Betty gasped. It filled Jughead with confidence and the need to pry more sounds out of her. He tugged on her earlobe, the same way she had done to him last night. She turned to face him, seeking his lips, but he gently faced her towards the screen again. “Watch the movie, Betts,” he said, using her own words against her.

A sound of protest escaped her, but she listened. His fingertips played with the edge of her skirt that had ridden up while his other hand was toying with the button on her top. He waited a moment, making his intend clear and giving her a chance to tell him to stop. She did not tell him to stop, instead she made an impatient sound. Jughead chuckled and easily popped open the button, revealing the top of her black bra. 

Any of the people in the surrounding cars could turn to them and see what they were doing. The thought excited Jughead as he slipped his hand into her shirt and palmed her breast. Betty was quiet, but he was aware of every quick breath she took. He could feel her racing heartbeat against his hand. Last night, she had shown him what she liked and now he was using that knowledge with great success. Soft sounds and whimpers escaped her lips every time he flicked her nipple or kissed her below her ear. His fingers moved further up her thigh with featherlight touches and Betty hooked her leg over his knee to give him more room. He smiled against her skin and nibbed her neck to show his approval.

“Juggie.” Her voice now a needy whine.

“I know, Hun,” he said, his fingers touching her over her panties. She gasped and let her head fall back against the seat, exposing more skin to him. He moved his hand while he licked her neck and it didn’t take long before he felt her trembling against him. 

Afterwards Betty practically melted into her seat and slowly turned her head his way. She tried to glare at him, but it was undercut by the glazed look in her eyes. He shot her a smug smile, feeling accomplished. “How did you go from cute to cocky so fast?” she asked.

“You are the one who corrupted me,” he replied with a cheeky grin. In all honesty, he also didn’t know where that had come from, just that he liked it and he knew she liked it too. Her reactions to him were intoxicating.

“It was pretty hot,” Betty flashed him a sexy smile. God, she was a vision with her wild hair and dark eyes and shirt still half unbuttoned. Jughead shifted in his place, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “ But I did not actually plan for something like this to happen,” she continued while buttoning her shirt.

“Of course not,” Jughead responded easily. “Drive ins aren’t notorious make out spots are anything.”

“We didn’t even make out,” Betty pouted. 

“Later,” Jughead promised. 

“Maybe I will even help with that.” Betty flicked her eyes towards his fly and Jughead chuckled. He tangled his hand in her hair and guided her head onto his shoulder. Betty threw her arm around his waist and nuzzled to get closer. They just fit perfectly.

“So, what is this movie about?” he joked.

He got rewarded by the beautiful sound of Betty’s laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, like Betty, had not planned for that to happen. These two characters have got a mind of their own and their minds seem to be in the gutter. We are all going to have to live with that.
> 
> Also Riverdale Jughead came out with his movie tastes. I don't think comic Juggie has a lot of thoughts towards the movies.
> 
> Please let me know what you think. I love reading your comments. I never know how to reply, so I always end up rambling, but they truly make my day.


End file.
